YFP is widely used as a genetically-encoded fluorescent marker in biology. In the course of a comprehensive study of this protein, we observed an unusual, negativefluorescence anisotropy at pH 6.0 (McAnaney, T. B., Zeng, W., Doe, C. F. E., Bhanji, N., Wakelin, S., Pearson, D. S., Abbyad, P., Shi, X. H., Boxer, S. G., and Bagshaw, C. R. (2005), Biochemistry 44, 5510–5524). Here we report that the fluorescence anisotropy of YFP 10C depends on protein concentration in the low micromolar range that was not expected. We propose that the negative anisotropy is a result of unidirectional Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) in a dimer of YFP, with the donor chromophore in the neutral form and the acceptor chromophore in the anionic form. This unusual mechanism is supported by studies of a monomeric YFP (A206K YFP) and transient-absorption spectroscopy of YFP 10C. A detailed analysis of the chromophore transition dipole moment direction is presented. The anisotropy and rate constant of this energy transfer are consistent with values produced by an analysis of the dimer structure observed in crystals. PMID:18027983

A Cauchois transmission crystal spectrometer intended for laser plasma diagnostics has measured an anomalous ratio between the fluorescence lines in megavoltage bremsstrahlung. When observed in reflection, Kα1 fluorescence is twice as strong as the Kβ line, as is usual. However, in forward-directed bremsstrahlung from a 2 MV end point linear accelerator with a tungsten converter, the Kα1 and Kβ fluorescence are approximately equal. The anomalousfluorescence line ratio, unity, reflects the large amount of fluorescence generated on the side of the converter where the electrons enter, and the differential attenuation of the fluorescence photons as they pass through the converter to opposite side. Understanding of fluorescence in megavoltage bremsstrahlung is relevant to the explanation of anomalous line ratios in spectra produced by high-energy electrons generated by intense femtosecond laser irradiation.

The production of negative hydrogen ions is investigated in the reflex-type negative ion sources. When anomalous diffusion in the positive column was found by Hoh and Lehnert [Phys. Fluids 3, 600 (1960)], it was pointed out that the large particle loss produced by anomalous diffusion is compensated for by the larger particle production inside the plasma. In the present experiments anomalous diffusion was artificially encouraged by changing the radial electric field inside the reflex discharge. Apparent encouragement of negative ion current by the increase of the density fluctuation amplitude is observed. Twice as much negative ion current was obtained with the artificial encouragement as without. On the other hand, the larger extracted negative ion current was observed with a lower electron temperature, which is calculated from the anomalous diffusion coefficient derived from a simple nonlinear theory. This result is consistent with Wadehra's calculated results [Appl. Phys. Lett. 35, 917 (1979)].

The production of negative hydrogen ions is investigated in the reflex-type negative ion sources. When anomalous diffusion in the positive column was found by Hoh and Lehnert (Phys. Fluids 3, 600 (1960)), it was pointed out that the large particle loss produced by anomalous diffusion is compensated for by the larger particle production inside the plasma. In the present experiments anomalous diffusion was artificially encouraged by changing the radial electric field inside the reflex discharge. Apparent encouragement of negative ion current by the increase of the density fluctuation amplitude is observed. Twice as much negative ion current was obtained with the artificial encouragement as without. On the other hand, the larger extracted negative ion current was observed with a lower electron temperature, which is calculated from the anomalous diffusion coefficient derived from a simple nonlinear theory. This result is consistent with Wadehra's calculated results (Appl. Phys. Lett. 35, 917 (1979)).

Mode conversion is an important feature of wave propagation used in ultrasonic nondestructive testing with Lamb waves. When a wave packet with a given central frequency, and a correspondent central wavenumber, impinges on the free edge of a plate, the reflected wave generally is a weighed combination of all the possible modes compatible with the given frequency. Under particular conditions, only one wave packet is reflected with a distinct central wavenumber compared to the incident one. In such a case, according to Snell's law, the reflection angle is different from the incident one (anomalous reflection). In this article, experimental results are presented on anomalous reflection on a free edge of a thin plate of a Lamb wave packet; moreover, experimental results are reported on a Lamb wave packet that is reflected at an angle lying on the same side, with respect to the normal direction, of the impinging wave (negative reflection). Negative reflection of Lamb waves has been obtained through mode conversion taking place at the free edge of a thin plate of constant thickness: More precisely, a symmetric S1 Lamb mode has been converted into the same mode but with phase velocity antiparallel to group velocity, so obtaining the so-called backward-propagating Lamb wave packet.

The method of FRAP (fluorescence recovery after photobleaching), which has been broadly used to measure lateral mobility of fluorescent-labeled molecules in cell membranes, is formulated here in terms of continuous time random walks (CTRWs), which offer both analytical expressions and a scheme for numerical simulations. We propose an approach based on the CTRW and the corresponding fractional diffusion equation (FDE) to analyze FRAP results in the presence of anomalous subdiffusion. The FDE generalizes the simple diffusive picture, which has been applied to FRAP when assuming regular diffusion, to account for subdiffusion. We use a subordination relationship between the solutions of the fractional and normal diffusion equations to fit FRAP recovery curves obtained from CTRW simulations, and compare the fits to the commonly used approach based on the simple diffusion equation with a time dependent diffusion coefficient (TDDC). The CTRW and TDDC describe two different dynamical schemes, and although the CTRW formalism appears to be more complicated, it provides a physical description that underlies anomalous lateral diffusion. PMID:18326658

Using a single photon counting technique we have investigated fluorescence decay spectra of phycobiliproteins with picosecond time resolution. The studies were performed in a wide range of temperatures—from 4 to 300 K. Comparing the fluorescence decay kinetics of samples rapidly frozen in liquid nitrogen with samples that were frozen slowly revealed that the temperature-dependent changes of phycobiliproteins fluorescence lifetime reflect the presence of three different stages, with a phase transition between 273 and 263 K that strongly depends on the rate of freezing. When the temperature decreases from 300 to 273 K, the fluorescence lifetime increases from 1.6 to 1.8 ns. In the region from 273 to 263 K we observed a decrease of the fluorescence lifetime, which strongly depends on the freezing rate: a slight decrease at high freezing rate and a drop down to 200 ps lifetime at slow freezing rate. In the low-temperature regime from 263 to 4 K a linear increase in the fluorescence lifetime was observed for all samples. It was found that the strong temperature dependence of the phycobiliprotein fluorescence, especially in the range between 263 and 273 K, is due to the interaction of the solvent with the chromophore bound to the protein. This feature is explained by a photoisomerization of the phycobiliproteins into a quenching form which is naturally prevented by the protein environment. The formation of ice microcrystals at low freezing rate eliminates this ‘protective’ effect of the protein environment.

We introduce a model of interacting Brownian particles in a symmetric, periodic potential that undergoes a noise-induced non-equilibrium phase transition. The associated spontaneous symmetry breaking entails a ratchet-like transport mechanism. In response to an external force we identify several novel features; among the most prominent being a zero-bias negative conductance and a prima facie counterintuitive, anomalous hysteresis.

The nonlinear theory of anomalous diffusion is based on particle interactions giving an explicit microscopic description of diffusive processes leading to sub-, normal, or super-diffusion as a result of competitive effects between attractive and repulsive interactions. We present the explicit analytical solution to the nonlinear diffusion equation which we then use to compute the correlation function which is experimentally measured by correlation spectroscopy. The theoretical results are applicable in particular to the analysis of fluorescence correlation spectroscopy of marked molecules in biological systems. More specifically we consider the cases of fluorescently labeled lipids in the plasma membrane and of fluorescent apoferritin (a spherically shaped oligomer) in a crowded dextran solution and we find that the nonlinear correlation spectra reproduce very well the experimental data indicating sub-diffusive molecular motion.

Experimental evidence of anomalous diffusion occurring in an inhomogeneous media (hyaluronan aquous solution) was obtained by use of fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) combined with other techniques (PFG-NMR and Photochemical reactions). The diffusion coefficient was obtained as a function of diffusion time or diffusion distance. Since this polymer solution can be regarded as a model system of extracellular matrices (ECMs), intercellular communication, which takes part in ECM, is greatly influenced by this anomalous diffusion mode. Therefore universal importance of anomalous diffusion in biological activity is identified in this series of independent experiments to measure diffusion coefficients.

The variation of absolute intensities of Bowen-excited Fe II emission in the symbiotic stars RR Tel, RX Pup, and AG Peg is examined. The C IV doublet intensity ratios in RR Tel were not anomalous between 1979 and 1989, and the ratio had typical values within the optically thin range. The intensity of individual Fe II Bowen-excited lines is correlated with the C IV 1548.2 A flux, suggesting the presence of a foreground Fe II region in which fluorescent-excited material responds to flux variations of C IV 1548.2 A. In RX Pup the combined fluxes of Fe II Bowen-pumped lines can account for an appreciable fraction of the flux deficit in the C IV 1548.2 A line when the C IV doublet ratio is less than the optically thick limit of unity. The Fe II Bowen lines in RX Pup exhibit a velocity range from 0 to 80 km/s, where several strong Fe II emission lines correspond to deep absorption structure in the C IV 1548.2 A line profile. In AG Peg and C IV 1548.2 A flux deficit cannot be explained by Fe II fluorescent absorption alone when the C IV doublet ratio anomaly is at an extreme.

We address the problem of diffusion on a comb whose teeth display varying lengths. Specifically, the length ℓ of each tooth is drawn from a probability distribution displaying power law behavior at large ℓ,P(ℓ)∼ℓ^{-(1+α)} (α>0). To start with, we focus on the computation of the anomalous diffusion coefficient for the subdiffusive motion along the backbone. This quantity is subsequently used as an input to compute concentration recovery curves mimicking fluorescence recovery after photobleaching experiments in comblike geometries such as spiny dendrites. Our method is based on the mean-field description provided by the well-tested continuous time random-walk approach for the random-comb model, and the obtained analytical result for the diffusion coefficient is confirmed by numerical simulations of a random walk with finite steps in time and space along the backbone and the teeth. We subsequently incorporate retardation effects arising from binding-unbinding kinetics into our model and obtain a scaling law characterizing the corresponding change in the diffusion coefficient. Finally, we show that recovery curves obtained with the help of the analytical expression for the anomalous diffusion coefficient cannot be fitted perfectly by a model based on scaled Brownian motion, i.e., a standard diffusion equation with a time-dependent diffusion coefficient. However, differences between the exact curves and such fits are small, thereby providing justification for the practical use of models relying on scaled Brownian motion as a fitting procedure for recovery curves arising from particle diffusion in comblike systems. PMID:27575088

We address the problem of diffusion on a comb whose teeth display varying lengths. Specifically, the length ℓ of each tooth is drawn from a probability distribution displaying power law behavior at large ℓ ,P (ℓ ) ˜ℓ-(1 +α ) (α >0 ). To start with, we focus on the computation of the anomalous diffusion coefficient for the subdiffusive motion along the backbone. This quantity is subsequently used as an input to compute concentration recovery curves mimicking fluorescence recovery after photobleaching experiments in comblike geometries such as spiny dendrites. Our method is based on the mean-field description provided by the well-tested continuous time random-walk approach for the random-comb model, and the obtained analytical result for the diffusion coefficient is confirmed by numerical simulations of a random walk with finite steps in time and space along the backbone and the teeth. We subsequently incorporate retardation effects arising from binding-unbinding kinetics into our model and obtain a scaling law characterizing the corresponding change in the diffusion coefficient. Finally, we show that recovery curves obtained with the help of the analytical expression for the anomalous diffusion coefficient cannot be fitted perfectly by a model based on scaled Brownian motion, i.e., a standard diffusion equation with a time-dependent diffusion coefficient. However, differences between the exact curves and such fits are small, thereby providing justification for the practical use of models relying on scaled Brownian motion as a fitting procedure for recovery curves arising from particle diffusion in comblike systems.

The direct observation of a spatiotemporal behavior of anomalous diffusion in aqueous polymer [hyaluronan (HA)] solution was achieved by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) using a modified instrument, enabling continuous change of the confocal volume of a microscope, namely, sampling-volume-controlled (SVC) FCS (SVC-FCS). Since HA chains form a mesh structure with a pore size of about 10-40nm , the observed diffusion coefficient (Dobs) is markedly dependent on the diffusion distance (L) . By SVC-FCS, the curve of the distance dependence of diffusion coefficient was directly obtained as a continuous profile in L=245-600nm showing evidence of anomalous diffusion. On plotting Dobs against either of the sampling time (τobs) or the diffusion distance (L) , Dobs turnover was observed near the anomalous diffusion area. The appearance of this turnover is attributed to the nonuniform mesh structure that can be observed only by a fast observation and that should be dynamically averaged by polymer motions with large τobs . This behavior is similar to that revealed in glass, colloidal systems, and gel solutions using dynamic light scattering, neutron scattering, and other techniques.

Augmenting fluorescence intensity is of vital importance to the development of chemical and biochemical sensing, imaging and miniature light sources. Here we report an unprecedented fluorescence enhancement with a novel architecture of multilayer three-dimensional colloidal photonic crystals self-assembled from polystyrene spheres. The new technique uses a double heterostructure, which comprises a top and a bottom layer with a periodicity overlapping the excitation wavelength (E) of the emitters, and a middle layer with a periodicity matching the fluorescence wavelength (F) and a thickness that supports constructive interference for the excitation wavelength. This E-F-E double heterostructure displays direction-dependent light trapping for both excitation and fluorescence, coupling the modes of photonic crystal with multiple-beam interference. The E-F-E double heterostructure renders an additional 5-fold enhancement to the extraordinary FL amplification of Rhodamine B in monolithic E CPhCs, and 4.3-fold acceleration of emission dynamics. Such a self-assembled double heterostructue CPhCs may find significant applications in illumination, laser, chemical/biochemical sensing, and solar energy harvesting. We further demonstrate the multi-functionality of the E-F-E double heterostructure CPhCs in Hg (II) sensing. PMID:26400503

In vivo photoacoustic (PA) and fluorescence flow cytometry were previously applied separately using pulsed and continuous wave lasers respectively, and positive contrast detection mode only. This paper introduces a real-time integration of both techniques with positive and negative contrast modes using only pulsed lasers. Various applications of this new tool are summarized, including detection of liposomes loaded with Alexa-660 dye, red blood cells labeled with Indocyanine Green, B16F10 melanoma cells co-expressing melanin and green fluorescent protein (GFP), C8161-GFP melanoma cells targeted by magnetic nanoparticles, MTLn3 adenocarcinoma cells expressing novel near-infrared iRFP protein, and quantum dot-carbon nanotube conjugates. Negative contrast flow cytometry provided label-free detection of low absorbing or weakly fluorescent cells in blood absorption and autofluorescence background, respectively. The use of pulsed laser for time-resolved discrimination of objects with long fluorescence lifetime (e.g., quantum dots) from shorter autofluorescence background (e.g., blood plasma) is also highlighted in this paper. The supplementary nature of PA and fluorescence detection increased the versatility of the integrated method for simultaneous detection of probes and cells having various absorbing and fluorescent properties, and provided verification of PA data using a more established fluorescence based technique. PMID:22903924

Negative thermal expansion (NTE) is the phenomenon in which materials shrink rather than expand on heating. Although NTE had been previously observed in a few simple materials at low temperature, it was the realisation in 1996 that some materials have NTE over very wide ranges of temperature that kick-started current interest in this phenomenon. Now, nearly two decades later, a number of families of ceramic NTE materials have been identified. Increasingly quantitative studies focus on the mechanism of NTE, through techniques such as high-pressure diffraction, local structure probes, inelastic neutron scattering and atomistic simulation. In this paper we review our understanding of vibrational mechanisms of NTE for a range of materials. We identify a number of different cases, some of which involve a small number of phonons that can be described as involving rotations of rigid polyhedral groups of atoms, others where there are large bands of phonons involved, and some where the transverse acoustic modes provide the main contribution to NTE. In a few cases the elasticity of NTE materials has been studied under pressure, identifying an elastic softening under pressure. We propose that this property, called pressure-induced softening, is closely linked to NTE, which we can demonstrate using a simple model to describe NTE materials. There has also been recent interest in the role of intrinsic anharmonic interactions on NTE, particularly guided by calculations of the potential energy wells for relevant phonons. We review these effects, and show how anhamonicity affects the response of the properties of NTE materials to pressure.

When high-purity copper (≥99.98%wt) is melted, held in its liquid state for a few hours with iterative thermal cycling, then allowed to resolidify, the ingot surface is found to have many small regions that are magnetically active. X-ray fluorescence analysis of these regions exhibit remarkably intense lines from “sensitized elements” (SE), including in part or fully the contiguous series V, Cr, Mn, Fe, and Co. The XRF emissions from SE are far more intense than expected from known impurity levels. Comparison with blanks and standards show that the thermal “tailoring” also introduces strongly enhanced SE emissions in samples taken from the interior of the copper ingots. For some magnetic regions, the location as well as the SE emissions, although persistent, vary irregularly with time. Also, for some regions extraordinarily intense “sensitized iron” (SFe) emissions occur, accompanied by drastic attenuation of Cu emissions. PMID:20037657

The most common form of DNA is the well-known B-structure of double-helix DNA. Many processes in the cell, however, exert force and torque, inducing structural changes to the DNA that are vital to biological function. Virtually all DNA in cells is in a state of negative supercoiling, with a DNA structure that is complex. Using magnetic tweezers combined with fluorescence imaging, we here study DNA structure as a function of negative supercoiling at the single-molecule level. We classify DNA phases based on DNA length as a function of supercoiling, down to a very high negative supercoiling density σ of -2.5, and forces up to 4.5 pN. We characterize plectonemes using fluorescence imaging. DNA bubbles are visualized by the binding of fluorescently labelled RPA, a eukaryotic single-strand-binding protein. The presence of Z-DNA, a left-handed form of DNA, is probed by the binding of Zα77, the minimal binding domain of a Z-DNA-binding protein. Without supercoiling, DNA is in the relaxed B-form. Upon going toward negative supercoiling, plectonemic B-DNA is being formed below 0.6 pN. At higher forces and supercoiling densities down to about -1.9, a mixed state occurs with plectonemes, multiple bubbles and left-handed L-DNA. Around σ = -1.9, a buckling transition occurs after which the DNA end-to-end length linearly decreases when applying more negative turns, into a state that we interpret as plectonemic L-DNA. By measuring DNA length, Zα77 binding, plectoneme and ssDNA visualisation, we thus have mapped the co-existence of many DNA structures and experimentally determined the DNA phase diagram at (extreme) negative supercoiling.The most common form of DNA is the well-known B-structure of double-helix DNA. Many processes in the cell, however, exert force and torque, inducing structural changes to the DNA that are vital to biological function. Virtually all DNA in cells is in a state of negative supercoiling, with a DNA structure that is complex. Using magnetic tweezers

A near-infrared optical tomography approach for detection, three-dimensional localization, and cross-section imaging of fluorescent targets in a turbid medium is introduced. The approach uses multisource probing of targets, multidetector acquisition of diffusely transmitted fluorescence signal, and a non-negative matrix factorization based blind source separation scheme to obtain three-dimensional location of the targets. A Fourier transform back-projection algorithm provides an estimate of target cross section. The efficacy of the approach is demonstrated in an experiment involving two laterally separated small fluorescent targets embedded in a human breast tissue-simulating sample of thickness 60 times the transport mean free path. The approach could locate the targets within ˜1 mm of their known positions, and provide estimates of their cross sections. The high spatial resolution, fast reconstruction speed, noise tolerance, and ability to detect small targets are indicative of the potential of the approach for detecting and locating fluorescence contrast-enhanced breast tumors in early growth stages, when they are more amenable to treatment.

Several type strains of bacteria including Vibrio fischeri, Azotobacter vinelandii, Enterobacter cloacae, and Corynebacterium xerosis, were cultured in the laboratory following standard diagnostic protocol based on their individual metabolic strategies. The bacterial cultures were not further treated and they were studied in their pristine state (pure culture - axenic). The fluorescent studies were applied using a continuous wave and a pulsed excitation light sources. Emission and excitation spectra were recorded for the continuous wave excitation and they all show similar spectral features with the exception of the gram positive bacteria showing vibronic structures. The vibrational modes involved in these vibronic bands have energy typical for carbon-carbon vibrations. The fluorescence is quenched in addition of water, even a very thin layer, which confirms that the observed spectral features originate from the outer parts of the bacteria. These results allow to conclude that the fluorescence spectroscopy can be used as a method for studying the membranes of the bacteria and eventually to discriminate between gram positive and gram negative bacteria. The pulsed experiments show that the fluorescence lifetime is in the sub-microsecond range. The results indicate that the observed spectra are superposition of the emission with different lifetimes.

We have investigated helium (1s3d) 3D → (1s2p) 3P (588 nm) fluorescence produced by electron impact excitation in the vicinity of the (2s22p) 2P and (2s2p2) 2D negative-ion resonances at 57.2 and 58.3 eV, respectively. In contrast to previous work, we use spin-polarized incident electrons and report the relative Stokes parameters P1, P2 and P3 in the 55-60 eV region. Our failure to see discernable resonance effects in P2 indicates that even though the lifetime of these resonances is significant (~10 fs), magnetic forces acting on the temporarily captured electron are small. Resonant structures in the values of P1 and P3 are observed because the polarization contributions of resonant states are generally different than those from direct excitation of the 3 3D state.

A novel quaternary lyotropic liquid-crystalline mixture of dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DDTMABr)/sodium bromide/1-dodecanol/water, presenting the biaxial nematic phase (NB ) in addition to two uniaxial discotic (ND) and calamitic (NC) nematic ones, was synthesized. The partial phase diagram of this new mixture was constructed as a function of the DDTMABr molar-fraction concentration. The phase transitions from uniaxial to biaxial nematic phases were studied by means of the temperature dependence of the optical birefringence. In a particular region of the phase diagram, anomalous behavior was observed in the crossover from N-B to N+b: the contrast of the conoscopic fringes, which allows the birefringence measurements, almost vanishes, and the sample loses its alignment. This behavior, which was not observed before in lyotropics, was interpreted as a decrease in the mean diamagnetic susceptibility anisotropy (Δχ) of the sample, which was related to the shape anisotropy of the micelles. Small-angle X-ray scattering measurements were performed to evaluate the micellar shape anisotropy; these revealed that this mixture presented a smaller shape anisotropy than those of other lyotropic micellar systems presenting the NB phase. PMID:24692308

In this work, we report Mn-Fe heterodoped ZnSe tetrapod nanocrystals (NCs) synthesized to synergistically enhance contrast in both T1- and T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The proposed NCs were prepared using a customized heteroarchitecture such that the manganese (Mn) is confined in the core and iron (Fe) in the branches of the tetrapods. The elemental composition and profile of these NCs were studied using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. Photoluminescence quantum yield of these heterodoped NCs in water is ∼30%. Magnetic measurements reveal the simultaneous presence of superparamagnetic and paramagnetic behavior in these NCs because of the coexistence of Mn(2+) and Fe(2+) dopants. Their potential as simultaneous positive and negative MRI contrast agents was demonstrated by relaxivity measurements and in vivo MRI. From the in vivo studies, we also found that these NCs (with a hydrodynamic diameter of 20 nm) are excreted from the body within 24 h after the injection. Therefore, these heterodoped tetrapods NCs, while being fluorescent and safe, hold great future as a synergistically enhancing dual-modal MRI contrast agent. PMID:27139918

Using a combination of x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) experiments and first-principles calculations, we demonstrate that insulating KCuO2 contains Cu in an unusually high formal 3+ valence state, and the ligand-to-metal (O-to-Cu) charge-transfer energy is intriguingly negative (Δ ˜-1.5 eV) and has a dominant (˜60 % ) ligand-hole character in the ground state akin to the high Tc cuprate Zhang-Rice state. Unlike most other formal Cu3 + compounds, the Cu 2 p XAS spectra of KCuO2 exhibit pronounced 3 d8 (Cu3 +) multiplet structures, which account for ˜40 % of its ground state wave function. Ab initio calculations elucidate the origin of the band gap in KCuO2 as arising primarily from strong intracluster Cu 3 d -O 2 p hybridizations (tpd); the value of the band gap decreases with a reduced value of tpd. Further, unlike conventional negative-charge-transfer insulators, the band gap in KCuO2 persists even for vanishing values of Coulomb repulsion U , underscoring the importance of single-particle band-structure effects connected to the one-dimensional nature of the compound.

In general, a dielectric material will eject (or absorb) heat when an electric field is applied and absorb (or eject) heat when the field is removed, under isothermal condition, which is known as the normal (or negative) electrocaloric (EC) effect. For some applications, it is highly desired that an EC material will absorb heat (cooling the surrounding) without subsequent heating under an electric pulse. Here, we show that such an EC material can be realized in a properly designed hybrid normal ferroelectric/relaxor ferroelectric polymer blend in which the normal ferroelectric component induces dipole ordering in the relaxor polymer in the poled state, which can be switched to a de-poled state by an external field. More importantly, the de-poled state can be maintained by the relaxor component when the de-poling field is removed. Consequently, the hybrid blend exhibits a large cooling (an isothermal entropy change ΔS = 11.5 J kg-1 K-1) without the subsequent heating upon the application of an electric pulse.

Here, we fabricated polypyrrole nanoparticles (PPys) (termed HA10-PPy, HA20-PPy, and HA40-PPy) doped with different average molecular weight hyaluronic acids (HAs) (10, 20, and 40 kDa, respectively), and evaluated the effect of molecular weight of doped HA on photothermal induction, fluorescence quenching, and drug loading efficiencies. Doxorubicin-loaded HA-doped PPys (DOX@HA-PPys) could be used for imaging and therapy of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Fluorescence turn-on, stimuli-responsive drug release, and photo-induced heating of DOX@HA-PPys enabled not only activatable fluorescence imaging but also subsequent chemo/photothermal dual therapy for TNBC. In particular, we illustrated the potential usefulness of the photothermal effect of the nanoparticles for overcoming chemoresistance in TNBC.

Here, we fabricated polypyrrole nanoparticles (PPys) (termed HA10-PPy, HA20-PPy, and HA40-PPy) doped with different average molecular weight hyaluronic acids (HAs) (10, 20, and 40 kDa, respectively), and evaluated the effect of molecular weight of doped HA on photothermal induction, fluorescence quenching, and drug loading efficiencies. Doxorubicin-loaded HA-doped PPys (DOX@HA-PPys) could be used for imaging and therapy of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Fluorescence turn-on, stimuli-responsive drug release, and photo-induced heating of DOX@HA-PPys enabled not only activatable fluorescence imaging but also subsequent chemo/photothermal dual therapy for TNBC. In particular, we illustrated the potential usefulness of the photothermal effect of the nanoparticles for overcoming chemoresistance in TNBC. PMID:27004751

The ample variety of labeling dyes and staining methods available in fluorescence microscopy has enabled biologists to advance in the understanding of living organisms at cellular and molecular level. When two or more fluorescent dyes are used in the same preparation, or one dye is used in the presence of autofluorescence, the separation of the fluorescent emissions can become problematic. Various approaches have been recently proposed to solve this problem. Among them, blind non-negative matrix factorization is gaining interest since it requires little assumptions about the spectra and concentration of the fluorochromes. In this paper, we propose a novel algorithm for blind spectral separation that addresses some of the shortcomings of existing solutions: namely, their dependency on the initialization and their slow convergence. We apply this new algorithm to two relevant problems in fluorescence microscopy: autofluorescence elimination and spectral unmixing of multi-labeled samples. Our results show that our new algorithm performs well when compared with the state-of-the-art approaches for a much faster implementation. PMID:24260120

Background Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly diverse group of cancers characterized by tumors that does not express estrogen and progesterone receptors, as well as human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) gene expression. TNBC is associated with poor prognosis due to high rate of recurrence and distance metastasis, lack of response to hormonal or HER2-targeted therapies, and partial response to chemotherapy. Hence, development of new therapeutic strategies to overcome such limitations is of great importance. Here we describe the application of photosensitizer-conjugated and camptothecin (CPT)-encapsulated hyaluronic acid (HA) nanoparticles as enzyme-activatable theranostic nanoparticles (EATNP) for near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging and photodynamic/chemo dual therapy of TNBC. Methods For the preparation of EATNPs, chlorin e6 (Ce6), a second generation photosensitizer, was covalently conjugated to a monomethoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-grafted HA backbone. Ce6-conjugated HA (Ce6-HA) formed self-assembled nanoparticles (i.e., Ce6-HA NPs) in an aqueous solution. Subsequently, CPT, a topoisomerase 1 inhibitor with remarkable anticancer efficacy but with low water solubility, was encapsulated inside the hydrophobic core of Ce6-HA NPs thereby forming EATNPs. Results Fluorescence and singlet oxygen generation (SOG) of EATNPs are quenched in its native state. Treatment of EATNPs with hyaluronidase (HAdase) induces enzyme concentration-dependent activation of NIR fluorescence and SOG. Moreover, HAdase-mediated degradation of the nanoparticles also triggers the release of CPT from the EATNPs. In vitro confocal microscopy and cytotoxicity tests confirmed that EATNPs were efficiently introduced into MDA-MB-231 TNBC cell line, thereby inducing better cytotoxicity than that by free CPT. Additional light irradiation onto the EATNP-treated cells significantly increased therapeutic efficacy in TNBC, which indicates that EATNP plays an important role in

Early and accurate diagnosis of breast cancer holds great promise to improve treatability and curability. Here, we report the usage of six luminescent nanodot-graphene oxide complexes as novel fluorescent nanoprobes in a sensing array capable of effectively identifying healthy, cancerous, and metastatic human breast cells. The sensory system is based on the utilization of nanoprobe-graphene oxide sensor elements that can be disrupted in the presence of breast cells to give fluorescent readouts. Using this multichannel sensor, we have successfully identified breast cancer cells and distinguished between estrogen receptor positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 positive, and triple negative phenotypes. This approach also allows cell identification at high sensitivity (200 cells) with high reproducibility. The unknown cell sample analysis indicates that the sensor is able to identify 49 out of 50 breast cell samples correctly, with a detection accuracy of 98%. Taken together, this array-based luminescent nanoprobe-graphene oxide sensing platform presents a useful cell screening tool with potential applications in biomedical diagnostics. PMID:27003608

In this composite image of spiral galaxy M106 (NGC 4258), optical data from the Digitized Sky Survey is shown as yellow, radio data from the Very Large Array appears as purple, X-ray data from Chandra is coded blue, and infrared data from the Spitzer Space Telescope appears red. Two anomalous arms, which aren't visible at optical wavelengths, appear as purple and blue emission.

Fluorescence excitation spectra of trans-2-octene, trans-cyclooctene, 2-methyl-2-butene, and 2,3-dimethyl-2-butene were measured by using synchrotron radiation as a tunable light source in the vacuum UV and UV region. The wavelength dependence of the fluorescence yields provides direct evidence for the long-proposed assignment that the emissive state is the {pi},R(3s) Rydberg state, which in turn gives the carbene-derived photoproducts.

Neutron powder diraction has been used to investigate the structural and magnetic behavior of the isoelectronically doped Fe pnictide material PrFe1-xRuxAsO. Substitution of Ru for Fe sup- presses the structural and magnetic phase transitions that occur in the undoped compound PrFeAsO. Contrary to the behavior usually observed in 1111 pnictide materials, the suppression of both the structural and magnetic transitions does not result in the emergence of superconductivity or any other new ground state. Interestingly, PrFeAsO itself shows an unusual negative thermal expansion (NTE) along the c-axis, from 60K down to at least 4K; this does not occur in superconducting samples such as those formed by doping with fluorine on the oxygen site. We nd that NTE is present for all concentrations of PrFe1-xRuxAsO with x ranging from 0.05 to 0.75. These results suggest that the absence of superconductivity in these materials could be related to the presence of NTE.

The objective of this study was to find out the emission spectral fingerprints for discrimination of human colorectal and gastric cancer from normal tissue in vitro by applying native fluorescence. The native fluorescence (NFL) and Stokes shift spectra of seventy-two human cancerous and normal colorectal (colon, rectum) and gastric tissues were analyzed using three selected excitation wavelengths (e.g. 300 nm, 320 nm and 340 nm). Three distinct biomarkers, tryptophan, collagen and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydrate (NADH), were found in the samples of cancerous and normal tissues from eighteen subjects. The spectral profiles of tryptophan exhibited a sharp peak in cancerous colon tissues under a 300 nm excitation when compared with normal tissues. The changes in compositions of tryptophan, collagen, and NADH were found between colon cancer and normal tissues under an excitation of 300 nm by the non-negative basic biochemical component analysis (BBCA) model.

The impact of a large negative quantum well gain-to-cavity etalon wavelength detuning on the static and dynamic characteristics of 850 nm InGaAlAs high-speed oxide-confined vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) was investigated. Three distinct lasing regimes were revealed in large square aperture (≥7 μm per side) devices with large detuning including: (1) an anomalous lasing via higher order Hermite–Gaussian modes at low forward bias current; (2) lasing via the lowest order Hermite–Gaussian modes at high bias current; and (3) simultaneous lasing via both types of transverse modes at intermediate bias currents. In contrast to conventional multimode VCSELs a two-resonance modulation response was observed for the case of co-lasing via multiple transverse modes with high spectral separation. The reduction in the oxide aperture area resulted in classical lasing via the lowest order modes with a conventional single-resonance frequency response.

To determine the accuracy of the Syva (Palo Alto, Calif.) direct fluorescent-antibody (DFA) test in comparison with the Gen-Probe (San Diego, Calif.) Accuprobe culture confirmation test, we tested 395 isolates of Neisseria gonorrhoeae from cultures obtained from patients attending a sexually transmitted disease clinic from 1 July 1991 through 30 June 1992. All isolates were tested for DFA reactivity with a polyclonal reagent (Difco Laboratories, Detroit, Mich.) and a monoclonal reagent (Syva, Inc., direct specimen test) and for specific molecular probe reactivity by the Gen-Probe Accuprobe culture confirmation test for N. gonorrhoeae. The 395 isolates gave positive results for the Gen-Probe culture confirmation test and the Difco polyclonal direct specimen test. However, 18 (4.6%) of the isolates were negative for N. gonorrhoeae by the Syva DFA test. With the exception of six beta-lactamase-positive isolates, all isolates that were negative by Syva DFA were sensitive to penicillin, tetracycline, spectinomycin, and ceftriaxone by disk-diffusion susceptibility testing. Auxotyping and serotyping studies indicated that strains negative by Syva DFA consisted of several variants. The frequency of N. gonorrhoeae isolates showing negative results by Syva DFA in this patient population ranged from 0 to 11.5%/month. Laboratories using only the Syva DFA test for confirmation of N. gonorrhoeae may incur a significant risk of misidentification. PMID:8408585

Elemental distribution images acquired by imaging X-ray fluorescence analysis can contain high degrees of redundancy and weakly discernible correlations. In this article near real-time non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) is described for the analysis of a number of data sets acquired from samples of a bi-modal α+β Ti-6Al-6V-2Sn alloy. NMF was used for the first time to reveal absorption artefacts in the elemental distribution images of the samples, where two phases of the alloy, namely α and β, were in superposition. The findings and interpretation of the NMF results were confirmed by Monte Carlo simulation of the layered alloy system. Furthermore, it is shown how the simultaneous factorization of several stacks of elemental distribution images provides uniform basis vectors and consequently simplifies the interpretation of the representation. PMID:26917147

To observe real-time interactions between green fluorescent protein-labeled immune cells and invading bacteria in the zebrafish (Danio rerio), a series of plasmids was constructed for the red fluorescent protein (RFP) labeling of a variety of fish and human pathogens. The aim of this study was to create a collection of plasmids that would express RFP pigments both constitutively and under tac promoter regulation and that would be nontoxic and broadly transmissible to a variety of Gram-negative bacteria. DNA fragments encoding the RFP dimeric (d), monomeric (m), and tandem dimeric (td) derivatives d-Tomato, td-Tomato, m-Orange, and m-Cherry were cloned into the IncQ-based vector pMMB66EH in Escherichia coli. Plasmids were mobilized into recipient strains by conjugal mating. Pigment production was inducible in Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Edwardsiella tarda, and Vibrio (Listonella) anguillarum strains by isopropyl-beta-d-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) treatment. A spontaneous mutant exconjugant of P. aeruginosa PA14 was isolated that expressed td-Tomato constitutively. Complementation analysis revealed that the constitutive phenotype likely was due to a mutation in lacI(q) carried on pMMB66EH. DNA sequence analysis confirmed the presence of five transitions, four transversions, and a 2-bp addition within a 14-bp region of lacI. Vector DNA was purified from this constitutive mutant, and structural DNA sequences for RFP pigments were cloned into the constitutive vector. Exconjugants of P. aeruginosa, E. tarda, and V. anguillarum expressed all pigments in an IPTG-independent fashion. Results from zebrafish infectivity studies indicate that RFP-labeled pathogens will be useful for the study of real-time interactions between host cells of the innate immune system and the infecting pathogen. PMID:20363780

To observe real-time interactions between green fluorescent protein-labeled immune cells and invading bacteria in the zebrafish (Danio rerio), a series of plasmids was constructed for the red fluorescent protein (RFP) labeling of a variety of fish and human pathogens. The aim of this study was to create a collection of plasmids that would express RFP pigments both constitutively and under tac promoter regulation and that would be nontoxic and broadly transmissible to a variety of Gram-negative bacteria. DNA fragments encoding the RFP dimeric (d), monomeric (m), and tandem dimeric (td) derivatives d-Tomato, td-Tomato, m-Orange, and m-Cherry were cloned into the IncQ-based vector pMMB66EH in Escherichia coli. Plasmids were mobilized into recipient strains by conjugal mating. Pigment production was inducible in Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Edwardsiella tarda, and Vibrio (Listonella) anguillarum strains by isopropyl-β-d-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) treatment. A spontaneous mutant exconjugant of P. aeruginosa PA14 was isolated that expressed td-Tomato constitutively. Complementation analysis revealed that the constitutive phenotype likely was due to a mutation in lacIq carried on pMMB66EH. DNA sequence analysis confirmed the presence of five transitions, four transversions, and a 2-bp addition within a 14-bp region of lacI. Vector DNA was purified from this constitutive mutant, and structural DNA sequences for RFP pigments were cloned into the constitutive vector. Exconjugants of P. aeruginosa, E. tarda, and V. anguillarum expressed all pigments in an IPTG-independent fashion. Results from zebrafish infectivity studies indicate that RFP-labeled pathogens will be useful for the study of real-time interactions between host cells of the innate immune system and the infecting pathogen. PMID:20363780

Anomalous quark triangles with one axial and two vector currents are studied in special kinematics when one of the vector currents carries a soft momentum. According to the Adler-Bardeen theorem the anomalous longitudinal part of the triangle is not renormalized in the chiral limit. We show that perturbative corrections the transversal part of the triangle is also absent. This nonrenormalization, in difference with the longitudinal part, holds on only perturbatively.

Brownian motion is widely considered the quintessential model of diffusion processes-the most elemental random transport processes in Science and Engineering. Yet so, examples of diffusion processes displaying highly non-Brownian statistics-commonly termed 'Anomalous Diffusion' processes-are omnipresent both in the natural sciences and in engineered systems. The scientific interest in Anomalous Diffusion and its applications is growing exponentially in the recent years. In this Paper we review the key statistics of Anomalous Diffusion processes: sub-diffusion and super-diffusion, long-range dependence and the Joseph effect, Levy statistics and the Noah effect, and 1/f noise. We further present a theoretical model-generalizing the Einstein-Smoluchowski diffusion model-which provides a unified explanation for the prevalence of Anomalous Diffusion statistics. Our model shows that what is commonly perceived as 'anomalous' is in effect ubiquitous. - Highlights: > The article provides an overview of Anomalous Diffusion (AD) statistics. > The Einstein-Smoluchowski diffusion model is extended and generalized. > The generalized model universally generates AD statistics. > A unified 'universal macroscopic explanation' for AD statistics is established. > AD statistics are shown to be fundamentally connected to robustness.

Findings from epidemiologic studies of oxidative stress biomarkers and breast cancer have been mixed, although no studies have focused on estrogen receptor-negative (ER-) tumors which may be more strongly associated with oxidative stress. We examined prediagnostic plasma fluorescent oxidation products (FlOP), a global biomarker of oxidative stress, and risk of ER- breast cancer in a nested case-control study in the Nurses' Health Study and Nurses' Health Study II. ER- breast cancer cases (n = 355) were matched to 355 controls on age, month/time of day of blood collection, fasting status, menopausal status, and menopausal hormone use. Conditional logistic regression models were used to examine associations of plasma FlOP at three emission wavelengths (FlOP_360, FlOP_320, and FlOP_400) and risk of ER- breast cancer. We did not observe any significant associations between FlOP measures and risk of ER- breast cancer overall; the RRQ4vsQ1 (95 %CI) 0.70 (0.43-1.13), p trend = 0.09 for FlOP_360; 0.91(0.56-1.46), p trend = 0.93 for FlOP_320; and 0.62 (0.37-1.03), p trend = 0.10 for FlOP_400. Results were similar in models additionally adjusted for total carotenoid levels and in models stratified by age and total carotenoids. Although high (vs. low) levels of FIOP_360 and FIOP_400 were associated with lower risk of ER- breast cancer in lean women (body mass index (BMI)

We analyze the temperature relaxation phenomena of systems in contact with a thermal reservoir that undergoes a non-Markovian diffusion process. From a generalized Langevin equation, we show that the temperature is governed by a law of cooling of the Newton’s law type in which the relaxation time depends on the velocity autocorrelation and is then characterized by the memory function. The analysis of the temperature decay reveals the existence of an anomalous cooling in which the temperature may oscillate. Despite this anomalous behavior, we show that the variation of entropy remains always positive in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics.

We analyze the temperature relaxation phenomena of systems in contact with a thermal reservoir that undergoes a non-Markovian diffusion process. From a generalized Langevin equation, we show that the temperature is governed by a law of cooling of the Newton's law type in which the relaxation time depends on the velocity autocorrelation and is then characterized by the memory function. The analysis of the temperature decay reveals the existence of an anomalous cooling in which the temperature may oscillate. Despite this anomalous behavior, we show that the variation of entropy remains always positive in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics. PMID:25770525

We analyze the temperature relaxation phenomena of systems in contact with a thermal reservoir that undergoes a non-Markovian diffusion process. From a generalized Langevin equation, we show that the temperature is governed by a law of cooling of the Newton's law type in which the relaxation time depends on the velocity autocorrelation and is then characterized by the memory function. The analysis of the temperature decay reveals the existence of an anomalous cooling in which the temperature may oscillate. Despite this anomalous behavior, we show that the variation of entropy remains always positive in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics.

We discuss the direct measurement of the trilinear vector boson couplings in present and future collider experiments. The major goals of such experiments will be the confirmation of the Standard Model (SM) predictions and the search for signals of new physics. We review our current theoretical understanding of anomalous trilinear gauge-boson self interactions. If the energy scale of the new physics is {approximately} 1 TeV, these low energy anomalous couplings are expected to be no larger than {Omicron}(10{sup {minus}2}). Constraints from high precision measurements at LEP and low energy charged and neutral current processes are critically reviewed.

There seems to be good experimental evidence that anomalous nuclei are produced in heavy-ion collisions; they are anomalous in that they have an abnormally short mean free path, for example, in nuclear emulsions. Here we consider the possibility that anomalous nuclei are combinations of a colored anomalous particle fragment (based on theories with spontaneous breakdown of color symmetry) with ordinary nucleons. Phenomenological implications of various possible models in which the anomalous particle fragment is considered to be a colored particle with the color symmetry SU(3)/sub c/ explicitly broken are given.

The anomalous Hall (AH) effect is deemed to be a unique transport property of ferromagnetic metals, caused by the concerted action of spin polarization and spin-orbit coupling. Nevertheless, recent experiments have shown that the effect also occurs in a nonmagnetic metal (Pt) in contact with a magnetic insulator [yttrium iron garnet (YIG)], even when precautions are taken to ensure that there is no induced magnetization in the metal. We propose a theory of this effect based on the combined action of spin-dependent scattering from the magnetic interface and the spin-Hall effect in the bulk of the metal. At variance with previous theories, we predict the effect to be of first order in the spin-orbit coupling, just as the conventional anomalous Hall effect—the only difference being the spatial separation of the spin-orbit interaction and the magnetization. For this reason we name this effect the nonlocal anomalous Hall effect and predict that its sign will be determined by the sign of the spin-Hall angle in the metal. The AH conductivity that we calculate from our theory is in order of magnitude agreement with the measured values in Pt /YIG structures.

It has been proposed that some continental rifted margins have anomalous subsidence histories and that at breakup they were elevated at shallower bathymetries than the isostatic response of classical rift models (McKenzie 1978) would predict. The existence of anomalous syn or post breakup subsidence of this form would have important implications for our understanding of the geodynamics of continental breakup and rifted continental margin formation, margin subsidence history and the evolution of syn and post breakup depositional systems. We have investigated three rifted continental margins; the Gulf of Aden, Galicia Bank and the Gulf of Lions, to determine whether the oceanic crust in the ocean-continent transition of these margins has present day anomalous subsidence and if so, whether it is caused by mantle dynamic topography or anomalous oceanic crustal thickness. Residual depth anomalies (RDA) corrected for sediment loading, using flexural backstripping and decompaction, have been calculated by comparing observed and age predicted oceanic bathymetries in order to identify anomalous oceanic bathymetry and subsidence at these margins. Age predicted bathymetric anomalies have been calculated using the thermal plate model predictions from Crosby & McKenzie (2009). Non-zero sediment corrected RDAs may result from anomalous oceanic crustal thickness with respect to the global average, or from mantle dynamic uplift. Positive RDAs may result from thicker than average oceanic crust or mantle dynamic uplift; negative RDAs may result from thinner than average oceanic crust or mantle dynamic subsidence. Gravity inversion incorporating a lithosphere thermal gravity anomaly correction and sediment thickness from 2D seismic data has been used to determine Moho depth and oceanic crustal basement thickness. The reference Moho depths used in the gravity inversion have been calibrated against seismic refraction Moho depths. The gravity inversion crustal basement thicknesses

Previously, we have derived a generalization of the canonical fluctuation relation between heat capacity and energy fluctuations C = β2langδU2rang, which is able to describe the existence of macrostates with negative heat capacities C < 0. In this work, we extend our previous results for an equilibrium situation with several control parameters to account for the existence of states with anomalous values in other response functions. Our analysis leads to the derivation of three different equilibrium fluctuation theorems: the fundamental and the complementary fluctuation theorems, which represent the generalization of two fluctuation identities already obtained in previous works, and the associated fluctuation theorem, a result that has no counterpart in the framework of Boltzmann-Gibbs distributions. These results are applied to study the anomalous susceptibility of a ferromagnetic system, in particular, the case of the 2D Ising model.

We demonstrate that it is possible to determine the coefficients of an all-orders beta-function linear in the anomalous dimensions using as data the 2-loop coefficients together with the first one of the anomalous dimensions which are universal. The beta function allows us to determine the anomalous dimension of the fermion masses at the infrared fixed point, and the resulting values compare well with the lattice determinations.

In this letter, the authors systematically investigated the behavior of negative bias temperature instability of p-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors with HfSiON /SiO2 gate stack. They found that typical linear extrapolation does not work well for the lifetime extraction at the normal operation conditions since the polarities of the net trapped charge inside the high-κ dielectrics are not the same at lower and higher stress voltage regimes. In other words, as ∣Vg∣<2.5V electron trapping dominated while hole trapping dominated when ∣Vg∣>2.5V. This phenomenon obviously contradicts the essence of the linear prediction in which the same degradation mechanism is assumed through the entire stress voltage range.

A new visual phenomenon that we call flashing anomalous color contrast is described. This phenomenon arises from the interaction between a gray central disk and a chromatic annulus surrounded by black radial lines. In an array of such figures, the central gray disk no longer appears gray, but assumes a color complementary to that of the surrounding annulus. The induced color appears: (1) vivid and saturated; (2) self-luminous, not a surface property; (3) flashing with eye or stimulus movement; (4) floating out of its confines; and (5) stronger in extrafoveal than in foveal vision. The strength of the effect depends on the number, length, width, and luminance contrast of the radial lines. The results suggest that the chromatic ring bounding the inner tips of the black radial lines induces simultaneous color contrast, whereas the radial lines elicit, in conjunction with the gray disk and the ring, the flashing, vividness, and high saturation of the effect. The stimulus properties inducing the illusion suggest that flashing anomalous color contrast may be based on asynchronous interactions among multiple visual pathways. PMID:15518215

The thesis put forward here is that the occurrence of Fickian dispersion in geophysical settings is a rare event and consequently should be labeled as anomalous. What people classically call anomalous is really the norm. In a Lagrangian setting, a process with mean square displacement which is proportional to time is generally labeled as Fickian dispersion. With a number of counter examples we show why this definition is fraught with difficulty. In a related discussion, we show an infinite second moment does not necessarily imply the process is super dispersive. By employing a rigorous mathematical definition of Fickian dispersion we illustrate why it is so hard to find a Fickian process. We go on to employ a number of renormalization group approaches to classify non-Fickian dispersive behavior. Scaling laws for the probability density function for a dispersive process, the distribution for the first passage times, the mean first passage time, and the finite-size Lyapunov exponent are presented for fixed points of both deterministic and stochastic renormalization group operators. The fixed points of the renormalization group operators are p-self-similar processes. A generalized renormalization group operator is introduced whose fixed points form a set of generalized self-similar processes. Finally, power-law clocks are introduced to examine multi-scaling behavior. Several examples of these ideas are presented and discussed.

The thesis put forward here is that the occurrence of Fickian dispersion in geophysical settings is a rare event and consequently should be labeled as anomalous. What people classically call anomalous is really the norm. In a Lagrangian setting, a process with mean square displacement which is proportional to time is generally labeled as Fickian dispersion. With a number of counter examples we show why this definition is fraught with difficulty. In a related discussion, we show an infinite second moment does not necessarily imply the process is super dispersive. By employing a rigorous mathematical definition of Fickian dispersion wemore » illustrate why it is so hard to find a Fickian process. We go on to employ a number of renormalization group approaches to classify non-Fickian dispersive behavior. Scaling laws for the probability density function for a dispersive process, the distribution for the first passage times, the mean first passage time, and the finite-size Lyapunov exponent are presented for fixed points of both deterministic and stochastic renormalization group operators. The fixed points of the renormalization group operators are p-self-similar processes. A generalized renormalization group operator is introduced whose fixed points form a set of generalized self-similar processes. Finally, power-law clocks are introduced to examine multi-scaling behavior. Several examples of these ideas are presented and discussed.« less

The existence of anomalous ionospheric reflections was shown on the basis of vertical soundings at the Moskow station. They are observed at heights of 100-200 km. These anomalous reflections are not related to the main Ne( h) ionospheric profile. Morphological characteristics of such reflections are presented: the daily, seasonal, and cyclic dependences of their appearance.

The recently reported Graneau experiments on electrodynamic explosions in liquids, which reveal anomalous longitudinal electrodynamic forces of the order of 10/sup 4/ times greater than expected, verify the need for a term in the law of electrodynamics that corresponds to the ion/electron mass ratio. This confirms an earlier theoretical interpretation of the anomalous cathode reaction forces found in the vacuum arc.

The equations of anomalous magnetohydrodynamics describe an Abelian plasma where conduction and chiral currents are simultaneously present and constrained by the second law of thermodynamics. At high frequencies the magnetic currents play the leading role, and the spectrum is dominated by two-fluid effects. The system behaves instead as a single fluid in the low-frequency regime where the vortical currents induce potentially large hypermagnetic fields. After deriving the physical solutions of the generalized Appleton-Hartree equation, the corresponding dispersion relations are scrutinized and compared with the results valid for cold plasmas. Hypermagnetic knots and fluid vortices can be concurrently present at very low frequencies and suggest a qualitatively different dynamics of the hydromagnetic nonlinearities.

A system is described for receiving a stream of events and scoring the events based on anomalousness and maliciousness (or other classification). The system can include a plurality of anomaly detectors that together implement an algorithm to identify low-probability events and detect atypical traffic patterns. The anomaly detector provides for comparability of disparate sources of data (e.g., network flow data and firewall logs.) Additionally, the anomaly detector allows for regulatability, meaning that the algorithm can be user configurable to adjust a number of false alerts. The anomaly detector can be used for a variety of probability density functions, including normal Gaussian distributions, irregular distributions, as well as functions associated with continuous or discrete variables.

The measurement of anomalous gauge boson self couplings is reviewed for a variety of present and planned accelerators. Sensitivities are compared for these accelerators using models based on the effective Lagrangian approach. The sensitivities described here are for measurement of {open_quotes}generic{close_quotes} parameters {kappa}{sub V}, {lambda}{sub V}, etc., defined in the text. Pre-LHC measurements will not probe these coupling parameters to precision better than O(10{sup -1}). The LHC should be sensitive to better than O(10{sup -2}), while a future NLC should achieve sensitivity of O(10{sup -3}) to O(10{sup -4}) for center of mass energies ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 TeV.

Technologies are needed to study gene expression at the level of individual cells within a population or microbial community. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) supplies high-resolution spatial information and has been widely applied to study microbial communities at the rRNA level. While mRNA-targeted FISH has been popular for studying gene expression in eukaryotic cells, very little success has been achieved with prokaryotes. At present, detection of specific mRNAs in individual prokaryotic cells requires the use of in situ-RT-PCR or tyramide signal amplification (TSA). In this study we used DNA oligonucleotide probes labeled with a single near-infrared dye in FISH assays to detect multicopy plasmid-based and endogenous mRNA molecules in Escherichia coli and Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. We took advantage of the fact there is much less background signal produced by biological materials and support matrices in the near-infrared spectrum and thus long camera exposure times could be used. In addition, we demonstrate that a combination of probes targeting both rRNA and mRNA could be successfully employed within the same FISH assay. These results, as well as ongoing R&D improvements in NIR and infrared dyes, indicate the FISH approach we demonstrated could be applied in certain environmental settings to monitor gene expression in mixed populations.

The anomalous Hall effect (AHE) occurs in solids with broken time-reversal symmetry, typically in a ferromagnetic phase, as a consequence of spin-orbit coupling. Experimental and theoretical studies of the AHE are reviewed, focusing on recent developments that have provided a more complete framework for understanding this subtle phenomenon and have, in many instances, replaced controversy by clarity. Synergy between experimental and theoretical works, both playing a crucial role, has been at the heart of these advances. On the theoretical front, the adoption of the Berry-phase concepts has established a link between the AHE and the topological nature of the Hall currents. On the experimental front, new experimental studies of the AHE in transition metals, transition-metal oxides, spinels, pyrochlores, and metallic dilute magnetic semiconductors have established systematic trends. These two developments, in concert with first-principles electronic structure calculations, strongly favor the dominance of an intrinsic Berry-phase-related AHE mechanism in metallic ferromagnets with moderate conductivity. The intrinsic AHE can be expressed in terms of the Berry-phase curvatures and it is therefore an intrinsic quantum-mechanical property of a perfect crystal. An extrinsic mechanism, skew scattering from disorder, tends to dominate the AHE in highly conductive ferromagnets. The full modern semiclassical treatment of the AHE is reviewed which incorporates an anomalous contribution to wave-packet group velocity due to momentum-space Berry curvatures and correctly combines the roles of intrinsic and extrinsic (skew-scattering and side-jump) scattering-related mechanisms. In addition, more rigorous quantum-mechanical treatments based on the Kubo and Keldysh formalisms are reviewed, taking into account multiband effects, and demonstrate the equivalence of all three linear response theories in the metallic regime. Building on results from recent experiment and theory, a

An apparatus and method for maintaining a steady-state current in a toroidal magnetically confined plasma. An electric current is generated in an edge region at or near the outermost good magnetic surface of the toroidal plasma. The edge current is generated in a direction parallel to the flow of current in the main plasma and such that its current density is greater than the average density of the main plasma current. The current flow in the edge region is maintained in a direction parallel to the main current for a period of one or two of its characteristic decay times. Current from the edge region will penetrate radially into the plasma and augment the main plasma current through the mechanism of anomalous viscosity. In another aspect of the invention, current flow driven between a cathode and an anode is used to establish a start-up plasma current. The plasma-current channel is magnetically detached from the electrodes, leaving a plasma magnetically insulated from contact with any material obstructions including the cathode and anode.

We examine an interesting scenario to solve the domain-wall problem recently suggested by Preskill, Trivedi, Wilczek, and Wise. The effective potential is calculated in the presence of the QCD axial anomaly. It is shown that some discrete symmetries such as {ital CP} and {ital Z}{sub 2} can be anomalous due to a so-called {ital K} term induced by instantons. We point out that the {ital Z}{sub 2} domain-wall problem in the two-doublet standard model can be resolved by two types of solutions: the {ital CP}-conserving one and the {ital CP}-breaking one. In the first case, there exist two {ital Z}{sub 2}-related local minima whose energy splitting is provided by the instanton effect. In the second case, there is only one unique vacuum so that the domain walls do not form at all. The consequences of this new source of {ital CP} violation are discussed and shown to be well within the experimental limits in weak interactions.

Most mafic achondrites can be broadly categorized as being "eucritic", that is, they are composed of a ferroan low-Ca clinopyroxene, high-Ca plagioclase and a silica phase. They are petrologically distinct from angritic basalts, which are composed of high-Ca, Al-Ti-rich clinopyroxene, Carich olivine, nearly pure anorthite and kirschsteinite, or from what might be called brachinitic basalts, which are composed of ferroan orthopyroxene and high-Ca clinopyroxene, intermediate-Ca plagioclase and ferroan olivine. Because of their similar mineralogy and composition, eucrite-like mafic achondrites formed on compositionally similar asteroids under similar conditions of temperature, pressure and oxygen fugacity. Some of them have distinctive isotopic compositions and petrologic characteristics that demonstrate formation on asteroids different from the parent of the HED clan (e.g., Ibitira, Northwest Africa (NWA) 011). Others show smaller oxygen isotopic distinctions but are otherwise petrologically and compositionally indistinguishable from basaltic eucrites (e.g., Pasamonte, Pecora Escarpment (PCA) 91007). The degree of uniformity in delta O-17 of eucrites and diogenites is one piece of evidence considered to favor of a magma-ocean scenario for their petrogenesis. Given that the O isotopic differences separating Pasamonte and PCA 91007 from other eucrites are small, and that there is an absence of other distinguishing characteristics, a legitimate question is: Did the HED parent asteroid fail to homogenize via a magma-ocean stage, thus explaining outliers like Pasamonte? We are initiating a program of study of anomalous eucrite-like achondrites as one part of our effort to seek a resolution of this issue. Here we present preliminary petrologic information on Asuka (A-) 881394, Elephant Moraine (EET) 87520 and EET 87542. We will have studied several more by conference time.

Anomalous Hall effect (AHE) is a distinctive transport property of ferromagnetic metals arising from spin orbit coupling (SOC) in concert with spontaneous spin polarization. Nonetheless, recent experiments have shown that the effect also appears in a nonmagnetic metal in contact with a magnetic insulator. The main puzzle lies in the apparent absence of spin polarized electrons in the non-magnetic metal. Here, we theoretically demonstrate that the scattering of electrons from a rough metal-insulator interface is generally spin-dependent, which results in mutual conversion between spin and charge currents flowing in the plane of the layer. It is the current-carrying spin polarized electrons and the spin Hall effect in the bulk of the metal layer that conspire to generate the AH current. This novel AHE differs from the conventional one only in the spatial separation of the SOC and the magnetization, so we name it as nonlocal AHE. In contrast to other previously proposed mechanisms (e.g., spin Hall AHE and magnetic proximity effect (MPE)), the nonlocal AHE appears on the first order of spin Hall angle and does not rely on the induced moments in the metal layer, which make it experimentally detectable by contrasting the AH current directions of two layered structures such as Pt/Cu/YIG and β -Ta/Cu/YIG (with a thin inserted Cu layer to eliminate the MPE). We predict that the directions of the AH currents in these two trilayers would be opposite since the spin Hall angles of Pt and β -Ta are of opposite signs. Work supported by NSF Grants DMR-1406568.

In this paper we demonstrate that under ultrahigh strain conditions p-type single crystal silicon nanowires possess an anomalous piezoresistance effect. The measurements were performed on vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) grown Si nanowires, monolithically integrated in a microelectro-mechanical loading module. The special setup enables the application of pure uniaxial tensile strain along the <111> growth direction of individual, 100 nm thick Si nanowires while simultaneously measuring the resistance of the nanowires. For low strain levels (nanowire elongation less than 0.8%), our measurements revealed the expected positive piezoresistance effect, whereas for ultrahigh strain levels a transition to anomalousnegative piezoresistance was observed. For the maximum tensile strain of 3.5%, the resistance of the Si nanowires decreased by a factor of 10. Even at these high strain amplitudes, no fatigue failures are observed for several hundred loading cycles. The ability to fabricate single-crystal nanowires that are widely free of structural defects will it make possible to apply high strain without fracturing to other materials as well, therefore in any application where crystallinity and strain are important, the idea of making nanowires should be of a high value. PMID:20698638

A ubiquitous observation in cell biology is that the diffusive motion of macromolecules and organelles is anomalous, and a description simply based on the conventional diffusion equation with diffusion constants measured in dilute solution fails. This is commonly attributed to macromolecular crowding in the interior of cells and in cellular membranes, summarizing their densely packed and heterogeneous structures. The most familiar phenomenon is a sublinear, power-law increase of the mean-square displacement (MSD) as a function of the lag time, but there are other manifestations like strongly reduced and time-dependent diffusion coefficients, persistent correlations in time, non-Gaussian distributions of spatial displacements, heterogeneous diffusion and a fraction of immobile particles. After a general introduction to the statistical description of slow, anomalous transport, we summarize some widely used theoretical models: Gaussian models like fractional Brownian motion and Langevin equations for visco-elastic media, the continuous-time random walk model, and the Lorentz model describing obstructed transport in a heterogeneous environment. Particular emphasis is put on the spatio-temporal properties of the transport in terms of two-point correlation functions, dynamic scaling behaviour, and how the models are distinguished by their propagators even if the MSDs are identical. Then, we review the theory underlying commonly applied experimental techniques in the presence of anomalous transport like single-particle tracking, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP). We report on the large body of recent experimental evidence for anomalous transport in crowded biological media: in cyto- and nucleoplasm as well as in cellular membranes, complemented by in vitro experiments where a variety of model systems mimic physiological crowding conditions. Finally, computer simulations are discussed which play an important

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for maintaining a steady-state current for magnetically confining the plasma in a toroidal magnetic confinement device using anomalous viscosity current drive. A second aspect of this invention relates to an apparatus and method for the start-up of a magnetically confined toroidal plasma.

Some physical aspects of negative mass are examined. Several unusual properties, such as the ability of negative mass to penetrate any armor, are analysed. Other surprising effects include the bizarre system of negative mass chasing positive mass, naked singularities and the violation of cosmic censorship, wormholes, and quantum mechanical results as well. In addition, a brief look into the implications for strings is given.

Spectacular enhancements of magnetic x-ray scattering have been predicted and observed experimentally. These effects are the result of resonant phenomena closely related to anomalous dispersion, and they are strongest at near-edge resonances. The theory of these resonances will be developed with particular attention to the symmetry properties of the scatterer. While the phenomena to be discussed concern magnetic properties the transitions are electric dipole or electric quadrupole in character and represent a subset of the usual anomalous dispersion phenomena. The polarization dependence of the scattering is also considered, and the polarization dependence for magnetic effects is related to that for charge scattering and to Templeton type anisotropic polarization phenomena. It has been found that the strongest effects occur in rare-earths and in actinides for M shell edges. In addition to the scattering properties the theory is applicable to ``forward scattering`` properties such as the Faraday effect and circular dichroism.

Scientific community has well recognized that a Lorentzian medium exhibits anomalous dispersion behavior in its resonance absorption region. To satisfy the Krammers-Kronig relation, such an anomalous region has to be accompanied with significant loss, and thus, experimental observations of negative group velocity in this region generally require a gain-assisted approach. In this letter, we demonstrate that the negative group velocity can also be observed in the absence of absorption resonance. We show that the k-surface of a passive uniaxial Lorentzian medium undergoes a distortion near the plasma frequency. This process yields an anomalous dispersion bandwidth that is far away from the absorption resonance region, and enables the observation of negative group velocity at the plasma frequency band. Introducing anomalous dispersion in a well-controlled manner would greatly benefit the research of ultrafast photonics and find potential applications in optical delay lines, optical data storage and devices for quantum information processing. PMID:23568139

We compute the ghost anomalous dimension within the asymptotic-safety scenario for quantum gravity. For a class of covariant gauge fixings and using a functional renormalization group scheme, the anomalous dimension {eta}{sub c} is negative, implying an improved UV behavior of ghost fluctuations. At the non-Gaussian UV fixed point, we observe a maximum value of {eta}{sub c{approx_equal}}-0.78 for the Landau-deWitt gauge within the given scheme and truncation. Most importantly, the backreaction of the ghost flow onto the Einstein-Hilbert sector preserves the non-Gaussian fixed point with only mild modifications of the fixed-point values for the gravitational coupling and cosmological constant and the associated critical exponents; also their gauge dependence is slightly reduced. Our results provide further evidence for the asymptotic-safety scenario of quantum gravity.

We model atomic motion in a sliding superlattice potential to explore "topological charge pumping" and to find optimal parameters for experimental observation of this phenomenon. We analytically study the band structure, finding how the Wannier states evolve as two sinusoidal lattices are moved relative to one another, and relate this evolution to the center-of-mass motion of an atomic cloud. We pay particular attention to counterintuitive or anomalous regimes, such as when the atomic motion is opposite to that of the lattice. We propose a practical cold-atom experiment to detect this anomalous behavior. Through numerical simulations, we find that a negative adiabatic current and a nontrivial Chern number C =-1 are readily measured.

It is well recognized to ascribe the anomalous cross-field conductivity inside Hall-effect thrusters to fluctuation-induced transport due to gradient-driven instabilities (Rayleigh or electron drift) and to electron-wall interaction (near-wall conductivity). In this letter, we have performed numerical experiments showing the possibility of another mechanism inducing azimuthal fluctuations: the lateral sheath instability. It is created by a negative differential resistance of the current-voltage I-V characteristic of the floating wall as a consequence of high secondary electron emission. The contribution from this effect to the anomalous axial current is calculated and it accounts of more than 80% of the experimental value.

We theoretically investigate the tunneling transport across a magnetic barrier modulated by a top gate potential on the surface of a three-dimensional topological insulator. In the presence of a magnetization component along the bias direction, a finite tunneling anomalous Hall conductance (TAHC), transverse to the applied bias, develops. Depending on the strengths of the magnetization and gate potential, the system can exhibit a giant anomalous Hall angle, with the TAHC exceeding the longitudinal tunneling conductance. Moreover, we predict the existence of a negative differential TAHC even when the longitudinal differential conductance remains positive. This work was supported by U.S. ONR Grant No. N000141310754 (A.M.-A., B.S.), DFG Grant No. SCHA 1899/1-1 (B.S.), DFG Grant No. HA 5893/4-1 within SPP 1666 (E.M.H.), and U.S. DOE, Office of Science BES, under Award DE-SC0004890 (I.Z.).

We have undertaken a clinical ground study of proton-induced light flashes (phosphenes). Patients treated at the Institut Curie - Centre de Protonthérapie in Orsay, France, received radiation therapy to cure ocular and skull-base cancers. Sixty percent of the patients treated for choroidal melanomas using 73 MeV protons report anomalous phosphenes. Delivering a radiation dose on the retina only is not sufficient to trigger the light flash. The present study may be the first indication of phosphenes triggered by protons of few tens of MeV.

A recent Letter [M. H. Lee, Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 190601 (2007)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.98.190601] has called attention to the fact that irreversibility is a broader concept than ergodicity, and that therefore the Khinchin theorem [A. I. Khinchin, Mathematical Foundations of Statistical Mechanics (Dover, New York, 1949)] may fail in some systems. In this Letter we show that for all ranges of normal and anomalous diffusion described by a generalized Langevin equation the Khinchin theorem holds.

The anomalous Hall effect in the ultrathin film regime is investigated in Fe(001)(1-3 nm) films epitaxial on MgO(001). The logarithmic localization correction to longitudinal resistivity and anomalous Hall resistivity are observed at low temperature. We identify that the coefficient of skew scattering has a reduction from metallic to localized regime, while the contribution of side jump has inconspicuous change except for a small drop below 10 K. Furthermore, we discover that the intrinsic anomalous Hall conductivity decreases with the reduction of thickness below 2 nm. Our results provide unambiguous experimental evidence to clarify the problem of localization correction to the anomalous Hall effect.

When signaling molecules diffuse through the cytosol they encounter a wide variety of obstacles that hinder their mobility in space and time. Some of those factors include, but are not limited to, interactions with mobile and immobile targets or obstacles. Besides finding a crowded environment inside the cell, macromolecules assemble into molecular complexes that drive specific biological functions adding additional complexity to their diffusion. Thus, simple models of diffusion often fail to explain mobility through the cell interior and new approaches are needed. Here we used fluorescent correlation spectroscopy to measure diffusion of three molecules of similar size with different surface properties diffusing in actin gels. The fluorescent probes were a) quantum dots, b) yellow-green fluorescent spheres and c) the β isoform of Ca2+ calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II tagged with green fluorescent protein. We compared various models for fitting the autocorrelation function (ACF) including single component, two-component, and anomalous diffusion. The two-component and anomalous diffusion models were superior and were largely indistinguishable based on a goodness of fit criteria. To better resolve differences between these two models, we modified the ACF to observe temporal variations in diffusion. We found in both simulated and experimental data, a transient anomalous subdiffusion between two freely diffusing regimes produced by binding interactions of the diffusive tracers with actin gels. PMID:20038146

The author has identified the following significant results. Through combined use of imagery from ERTS-1 and NOAA-2 satellites was found that when the sun elevation exceeds 55 degrees, the ERTS-1 imagery is subject to considerable contamination by sunlight even though the actual specular point is nearly 300 nautical miles from nadir. Based on sea surface wave slope information, a wind speed of 10 knots will theoretically provide approximately 0.5 percent incident solar reflectance under observed ERTS multispectral scanner detectors. This reflectance nearly doubles under the influence of a 20 knot wind. The most pronounced effect occurs in areas of calm water where anomalous dark patches are observed. Calm water at distances from the specular point found in ERTS scenes will reflect no solar energy to the multispectral scanner, making these regions stand out as dark areas in all bands in an ocean scene otherwise comprosed by a general diffuse sunlight from rougher ocean surfaces. Anomalous dark patches in the outer parts of the glitter zones may explain the unusual appearance of some scenes.

Anomalous subdiffusion in cells and model systems is an active area of research. The main questions are whether diffusion is anomalous or normal, and if it is anomalous, its mechanism. The subject is controversial, especially the hypothesis that crowding causes anomalous subdiffusion. Anomalous subdiffusion measurements would be strengthened by an experimental standard, particularly one able to cross-calibrate the different types of measurements. Criteria for a calibration standard are proposed. First, diffusion must be anomalous over the length and timescales of the different measurements. The length-scale is fundamental; the time scale can be adjusted through the viscosity of the medium. Second, the standard must be theoretically well understood, with a known anomalous subdiffusion exponent, ideally readily tunable. Third, the standard must be simple, reproducible, and independently characterizable (by, for example, electron microscopy for nanostructures). Candidate experimental standards are evaluated, including obstructed lipid bilayers; aqueous systems obstructed by nanopillars; a continuum percolation system in which a prescribed fraction of randomly chosen obstacles in a regular array is ablated; single-file diffusion in pores; transient anomalous subdiffusion due to binding of particles in arrays such as transcription factors in randomized DNA arrays; and computer-generated physical trajectories. PMID:23260043

Excessive clutter caused by anomalous propagation conditions severely degrades radar performance in many regions of the world. This article describes methods that can be used to predict anomalous clutter amplitude for site-specific radar parameters, terrain features, and atmospheric conditions and to predict the effects of radar Doppler processing on evaporation-ducted sea clutter.

Approximately 0.3% to 2% of patients may have anomalous origins of the coronary arteries. Anomalous origin of the left coronary artery (LCA) or left anterior descending (LAD) artery from the right sinus has been well described. In persons in whom the course involves an interarterial track between the aorta (Ao) and pulmonary artery (PA), an increased incidence of sudden death has been reported, particularly during or shortly after exercise. This has been felt to be due to transient occlusion of the anomalous LAD from increased blood flow through the Ao and PA as the anomalous LAD courses between them, possibly causing myocardial ischemia. In an elective setting, further anatomic delineation with other methodologies such as cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is recommended. In this case report we present an emergent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of an anomalous LAD arising from the right sinus of Valsalva and coursing between the Ao and PA in a nonsurgical candidate. PMID:16670456

We consider a discrete-time population dynamics with age-dependent structure. At every time step, one of the alive individuals from the population is chosen randomly and removed with probability q_k depending on its age, whereas a new individual of age 1 is born with probability r. The model can also describe a single queue in which the service order is random while the service efficiency depends on a customer's "age" in the queue. We propose a mean field approximation to investigate the long-time asymptotic behavior of the mean population size. The age dependence is shown to lead to anomalous power-law growth of the population at the critical regime. The scaling exponent is determined by the asymptotic behavior of the probabilities q_k at large k. The mean field approximation is validated by Monte Carlo simulations.

Extracellular space (ECS) is a major channel transporting biologically active molecules and drugs in the brain. Diffusion-mediated transport of these substances is hindered by the ECS structure but the microscopic basis of this hindrance is not fully understood. One hypothesis proposes that the hindrance originates in large part from the presence of dead-space (DS) microdomains that can transiently retain diffusing molecules. Because previous theoretical and modeling work reported an initial period of anomalous diffusion in similar environments, we expected that brain regions densely populated by DS microdomains would exhibit anomalous extracellular diffusion. Specifically, we targeted granular layers (GL) of rat and turtle cerebella that are populated with large and geometrically complex glomeruli. The integrative optical imaging (IOI) method was employed to evaluate diffusion of fluorophore-labeled dextran (MW 3000) in GL, and the IOI data analysis was adapted to quantify the anomalous diffusion exponent dw from the IOI records. Diffusion was significantly anomalous in rat GL, where dw reached 4.8. In the geometrically simpler turtle GL, dw was elevated but not robustly anomalous (dw = 2.6). The experimental work was complemented by numerical Monte Carlo simulations of anomalous ECS diffusion in several three-dimensional tissue models containing glomeruli-like structures. It demonstrated that both the duration of transiently anomalous diffusion and the anomalous exponent depend on the size of model glomeruli and the degree of their wrapping. In conclusion, we have found anomalous extracellular diffusion in the GL of rat cerebellum. This finding lends support to the DS microdomain hypothesis. Transiently anomalous diffusion also has a profound effect on the spatiotemporal distribution of molecules released into the ECS, especially at diffusion distances on the order of a few cell diameters, speeding up short-range diffusion-mediated signals in less permeable

Fluorescent refrigeration is based on selective radiative pumping, using substantially monochromatic radiation, of quantum excitations which are then endothermically redistributed to higher energies. Ultimately, the populated energy levels radiatively deexcite emitting, on the average, more radiant energy than was initially absorbed. The material utilized to accomplish the cooling must have dimensions such that the exciting radiation is strongly absorbed, but the fluorescence may exit the material through a significantly smaller optical pathlength. Optical fibers and mirrored glasses and crystals provide this requirement.

We demonstrate that the Higgs mechanism in three-dimensional topological superconductors exhibits unique features with experimentally observable consequences. The Higgs model we discuss has two superconducting components and an axionlike magnetoelectric term with the phase difference of the superconducting order parameters playing the role of the axion field. Due to this additional term, quantum electromagnetic and phase fluctuations lead to a robust topologically nontrivial state that holds also in the presence of interactions. In this sense, we show that the renormalization flow of the topologically nontrivial phase cannot be continuously deformed into a topologically nontrivial one. One consequence of our analysis of quantum critical fluctuations is the possibility of having a first-order phase transition in the bulk and a second-order phase transition on the surface. We also explore another consequence of the axionic Higgs electrodynamics, namely, the anomalous Hall effect. In the low-frequency London regime an anomalous Hall effect is induced in the presence of an applied electric field parallel to the surface. This anomalous Hall current is induced by a Lorentz-like force arising from the axion term, and it involves the relative superfluid velocity of the superconducting components. The anomalous Hall current has a negative sign, a situation reminiscent of but quite distinct in physical origin from the anomalous Hall effect observed in high-Tc superconductors. In contrast to the latter, the anomalous Hall effect in topological superconductors is nondissipative and occurs in the absence of vortices.

Anomalous or exceptional experiences are uncommon experiences which are usually interpreted as being paranormal by those who report them. These experiences have long remained difficult to explain, but current progress in cognitive neuroscience and psychoanalysis sheds light on the contexts in which they emerge, as well as on their underlying processes. Following a brief description of the different types of anomalous experiences, we underline how they can be better understood at the frontiers between psychoanalysis and cognitive neurosciences. In this regard, three main lines of research are discussed and illustrated, alongside clinical cases which come from a clinical service specializing in anomalous experiences. First, we study the links between anomalous experiences and hallucinatory processes, by showing that anomalous experiences frequently occur as a specific reaction to negative life events, in which case they mainly take the form of non-pathological hallucinations. Next, we propose to analyze these experiences from the perspective of their traumatic aspects and the altered states of consciousness they often imply. Finally, these experiences are considered to be the consequence of a hypersensitivity that can be linked to an increase in psychic permeability. In conclusion, these different processes lead us to consider anomalous experiences as primary forms of symbolization and transformation of the subjective experience, especially during, or after traumatic situations. PMID:26732646

Anomalous or exceptional experiences are uncommon experiences which are usually interpreted as being paranormal by those who report them. These experiences have long remained difficult to explain, but current progress in cognitive neuroscience and psychoanalysis sheds light on the contexts in which they emerge, as well as on their underlying processes. Following a brief description of the different types of anomalous experiences, we underline how they can be better understood at the frontiers between psychoanalysis and cognitive neurosciences. In this regard, three main lines of research are discussed and illustrated, alongside clinical cases which come from a clinical service specializing in anomalous experiences. First, we study the links between anomalous experiences and hallucinatory processes, by showing that anomalous experiences frequently occur as a specific reaction to negative life events, in which case they mainly take the form of non-pathological hallucinations. Next, we propose to analyze these experiences from the perspective of their traumatic aspects and the altered states of consciousness they often imply. Finally, these experiences are considered to be the consequence of a hypersensitivity that can be linked to an increase in psychic permeability. In conclusion, these different processes lead us to consider anomalous experiences as primary forms of symbolization and transformation of the subjective experience, especially during, or after traumatic situations. PMID:26732646

We will discuss a SUSY breaking model with anomalous U(1) symmetry. We discard R-symmetry and allow non-renormalizable terms for the model. It will be shown that certain class of models, where the number of positively charged fields is larger than that of negatively charged fields, can have meta-stable SUSY breaking vacuum.

The irregular firing of a cortical neuron is thought to result from a highly fluctuating drive that is generated by the balance of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs. A previous study reported anomalous responses of the Hodgkin-Huxley neuron to the fluctuated inputs where an irregularity of spike trains is inversely proportional to an input irregularity. In the current study, we investigated the origin of these anomalous responses with the Hindmarsh-Rose neuron model, map-based models, and a simple mixture of interspike interval distributions. First, we specified the parameter regions for the bifurcations in the Hindmarsh-Rose model, and we confirmed that the model reproduced the anomalous responses in the dynamics of the saddle-node and subcritical Hopf bifurcations. For both bifurcations, the Hindmarsh-Rose model shows bistability in the resting state and the repetitive firing state, which indicated that the bistability was the origin of the anomalous input-output relationship. Similarly, the map-based model that contained bistability reproduced the anomalous responses, while the model without bistability did not. These results were supported by additional findings that the anomalous responses were reproduced by mimicking the bistable firing with a mixture of two different interspike interval distributions. Decorrelation of spike trains is important for neural information processing. For such spike train decorrelation, irregular firing is key. Our results indicated that irregular firing can emerge from fluctuating drives, even weak ones, under conditions involving bistability. The anomalous responses, therefore, contribute to efficient processing in the brain.

The irregular firing of a cortical neuron is thought to result from a highly fluctuating drive that is generated by the balance of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs. A previous study reported anomalous responses of the Hodgkin-Huxley neuron to the fluctuated inputs where an irregularity of spike trains is inversely proportional to an input irregularity. In the current study, we investigated the origin of these anomalous responses with the Hindmarsh-Rose neuron model, map-based models, and a simple mixture of interspike interval distributions. First, we specified the parameter regions for the bifurcations in the Hindmarsh-Rose model, and we confirmed that the model reproduced the anomalous responses in the dynamics of the saddle-node and subcritical Hopf bifurcations. For both bifurcations, the Hindmarsh-Rose model shows bistability in the resting state and the repetitive firing state, which indicated that the bistability was the origin of the anomalous input-output relationship. Similarly, the map-based model that contained bistability reproduced the anomalous responses, while the model without bistability did not. These results were supported by additional findings that the anomalous responses were reproduced by mimicking the bistable firing with a mixture of two different interspike interval distributions. Decorrelation of spike trains is important for neural information processing. For such spike train decorrelation, irregular firing is key. Our results indicated that irregular firing can emerge from fluctuating drives, even weak ones, under conditions involving bistability. The anomalous responses, therefore, contribute to efficient processing in the brain. PMID:26565270

The surface of proteins can be charged with zinc ions and the anomalous signals from these zinc ions can be used for structure determination of proteins. Zinc is a suitable metal for anomalous dispersion phasing methods in protein crystallography. Structure determination using zinc anomalous scattering has been almost exclusively limited to proteins with intrinsically bound zinc(s). Here, it is reported that multiple zinc ions can easily be charged onto the surface of proteins with no intrinsic zinc-binding site by using zinc-containing solutions. Zn derivatization of protein surfaces appears to be a largely unnoticed but promising method of protein structure determination.

The modelling of extinction along anomalous/non-Cardelli, Clayton & Mathis sightlines, which are characterized by a broad 217.5-nm bump and steep far-ultraviolet (FUV) rise, is reported. The extinction along these sightlines, namely HD 210121, HD 204827, HD 29647 and HD 62542, is difficult to reproduce using standard silicate and graphite grains. A very good match with the observed extinction is obtained by considering a nanodiamond component as part of the carbonaceous matter. Most of these sightlines are rich in carbon and are invariably backed by a young hot stellar object. Nanodiamond is taken as a core within amorphous carbon and graphite. These core-mantle particles, taken as additional components along with graphite and silicates, lead to a reduction in the silicate requirement. The abundance of carbonaceous matter is not affected, as a very small fraction of nanodiamond is required. Extinction along sightlines that show steep FUV is also reported, demonstrating the importance of the nanodiamond component in all such regions.

We show that the vacuum (zero-point) energy of a low-temperature quantum liquid is a variable property which changes with the state of the system, in notable contrast to the static vacuum energy in solids commonly considered. We further show that this energy is inherently anomalous: it decreases with temperature and gives a negative contribution to a system's heat capacity. This effect operates in an equilibrium and macroscopic system, in marked contrast to small or out-of-equilibrium configurations discussed previously. We find that the negative contribution is over-compensated by the positive term from the excitation of longitudinal fluctuations and demonstrate how the overall positive heat capacity is related to the stability of a condensed phase at the microscopic level. PMID:26909505

The S-parameters of several different quantum well double barrier diodes have been measured. A technique has been developed for measuring whisker contacted diodes with an HP 8510B automatic network analyzer. Special coaxial mounts using K-connectors were designed to enable measurements up to 20 GHz. The voltage-dependent conductance and capacitance were derived from the measured reflection coefficient of each device. The C/V characteristics were observed to exhibit an anomalous increase at voltages corresponding to the negative differential resistance region (NDR). These are the first reported S-parameter measurements in the negative differential resistance region of quantum well double barrier diodes. A theory is presented that explains, in part, the observed results.

Lung resections are usually not associated with significant bleeding, but can be fatal, especially in cases of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). Anomalous vascular structures could be a major reason for unexpected bleeding in such surgeries. We present a case of an aberrant upper lobe pulmonary vein that was encountered posterior to the right upper lobe bronchus during a right upper lobectomy via thoracotomy. The anomalous pulmonary vein was identified preoperatively on a computed tomography (CT) scan and hence was looked for before dividing the bronchus. Many centres are adopting the VATS approach for performing lung resections. If an anomalous vein is present posterior to the bronchus, it might be in a blind spot and could be damaged inadvertently, leading to profuse and potentially fatal bleeding. We conclude that the identification of anomalous vascular structures prior to surgery with the help of CT helps in avoiding adverse outcomes. PMID:27016516

Lung resections are usually not associated with significant bleeding, but can be fatal, especially in cases of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). Anomalous vascular structures could be a major reason for unexpected bleeding in such surgeries. We present a case of an aberrant upper lobe pulmonary vein that was encountered posterior to the right upper lobe bronchus during a right upper lobectomy via thoracotomy. The anomalous pulmonary vein was identified preoperatively on a computed tomography (CT) scan and hence was looked for before dividing the bronchus. Many centres are adopting the VATS approach for performing lung resections. If an anomalous vein is present posterior to the bronchus, it might be in a blind spot and could be damaged inadvertently, leading to profuse and potentially fatal bleeding. We conclude that the identification of anomalous vascular structures prior to surgery with the help of CT helps in avoiding adverse outcomes. PMID:27016516

X-ray diffraction patterns from crystals of biological macromolecules contain sufficient information to define atomic structures, but atomic positions are inextricable without having electron-density images. Diffraction measurements provide amplitudes, but the computation of electron density also requires phases for the diffracted waves. The resonance phenomenon known as anomalous scattering offers a powerful solution to this phase problem. Exploiting scattering resonances from diverse elements, the methods of multiwavelength anomalous diffraction (MAD) and single-wavelength anomalous diffraction (SAD) now predominate for de novo determinations of atomic-level biological structures. This review describes the physical underpinnings of anomalous diffraction methods, the evolution of these methods to their current maturity, the elements, procedures and instrumentation used for effective implementation, and the realm of applications. PMID:24726017

We study the charmonium dissociation in a strongly coupled chiral plasma in the presence of magnetic field and axial charge imbalance. This type of plasma carries "anomalous flow" induced by the chiral anomaly and exhibits novel transport phenomena such as chiral magnetic effect. We found that the "anomalous flow" would modify the charmonium color screening length by using the gauge/gravity correspondence. We derive an analytical expression quantifying the "anomalous flow" experienced by a charmonium for a large class of chiral plasma with a gravity dual. We elaborate on the similarity and it qualitative difference between anomalous effects on the charmoniummore » color screening length which are model-dependent and those on the heavy quark drag force which are fixed by the second law of thermodynamics. As a result, we speculate on the possible charmonium dissociation induced by the chiral anomaly in heavy ion collisions.« less

This proposal is designed to permit recovery of the SBC {FUV MAMA} detector after an anomalous shutdown. Anomalous shutdowns can occur as a result of bright object violations which trigger the Bright Scene Detection or Software Global Monitor. Anomalous shutdowns can also occur as a result of SBC hardware problems. The recovery from anomalous shutdown procedure consists of four tests: 1} a signal processing electronics check, 2} a slow high voltage ramp-up to an intermediate voltage, 3} a slow high-voltage ramp-up to the full operating voltage, and 4} a Fold Test. During the two high-voltage ramp-ups, dark ACCUM exposures are taken. At high voltage, dark ACCUM exposures and diagnostics are taken. This proposal is based on Proposal 12738 from Cycle 19.

This proposal is designed to permit recovery of the SBC {FUV MAMA} detector after an anomalous shutdown. Anomalous shutdowns can occur as a result of bright object violations which trigger the Bright Scene Detection or Software Global Monitor. Anomalous shutdowns can also occur as a result of SBC hardware problems. The recovery from anomalous shutdown procedure consists of four tests: a signal processing electronics check, a slow high voltage ramp-up to an intermediate voltage, a slow high-voltage ramp-up to the full operating voltage, and lastly, a Fold Test. During the two high-voltage ramp-ups, dark ACCUM exposures are taken. At high voltage, dark ACCUM exposures and diagnostics are taken. This proposal is based on proposal 11884, visits 1 to 4.

We predict, theoretically, the existence of the anomalous Hall effect when a tunneling current flows through a tunnel junction in which only one of the electrodes is magnetic. The interfacial spin-orbit coupling present in the barrier region induces a spin-dependent momentum filtering in the directions perpendicular to the tunneling current, resulting in a skew tunneling even in the absence of impurities. This produces an anomalous Hall conductance and spin Hall currents in the nonmagnetic electrode when a bias voltage is applied across the tunneling heterojunction. If the barrier is composed of a noncentrosymmetric material, the anomalous Hall conductance and spin Hall currents become anisotropic with respect to both the magnetization and crystallographic directions, allowing us to separate this interfacial phenomenon from the bulk anomalous and spin Hall contributions. The proposed effect should be useful for proving and quantifying the interfacial spin-orbit fields in metallic and metal-semiconductor systems. PMID:26274432

We study the charmonium dissociation in a strongly coupled chiral plasma in the presence of magnetic field and axial charge imbalance. This type of plasma carries "anomalous flow" induced by the chiral anomaly and exhibits novel transport phenomena such as chiral magnetic effect. We found that the "anomalous flow" would modify the charmonium color screening length by using the gauge/gravity correspondence. We derive an analytical expression quantifying the "anomalous flow" experienced by a charmonium for a large class of chiral plasma with a gravity dual. We elaborate on the similarity and qualitative difference between anomalous effects on the charmonium color screening length which are model-dependent and those on the heavy quark drag force which are fixed by the second law of thermodynamics. We speculate on the possible charmonium dissociation induced by the chiral anomaly in heavy ion collisions.

Fluorescent refrigeration is based on selective radiative pumping, using substantially monochromatic radiation, of quantum excitations which are then endothermically redistributed to higher energies. Ultimately, the populated energy levels radiatively deexcite emitting, on the average, more radiant energy than was initially absorbed. The material utilized to accomplish the cooling must have dimensions such that the exciting radiation is strongly absorbed, but the fluorescence may exit the material through a significantly smaller optical pathlength. Optical fibers and mirrored glasses and crystals provide this requirement. 6 figs.

Fluorescence microscopy is a major tool with which to monitor cell physiology. Although the concepts of fluorescence and its optical separation using filters remain similar, microscope design varies with the aim of increasing image contrast and spatial resolution. The basics of wide-field microscopy are outlined to emphasize the selection, advantages, and correct use of laser scanning confocal microscopy, two-photon microscopy, scanning disk confocal microscopy, total internal reflection, and super-resolution microscopy. In addition, the principles of how these microscopes form images are reviewed to appreciate their capabilities, limitations, and constraints for operation. PMID:25275114

Irradiation of natural pink and brown diamond by middle-ultraviolet light (photon energy ϵ ≥ 4.1 eV ) is seen to induce anomalousfluorescence phenomena at N3 defect centres (structure N3-V). When diamonds primed in this fashion are subsequently exposed to infrared light (even with a delay of many hours), a transient burst of blue N3 fluorescence is observed. The dependence of this IR-triggered fluorescence on pump wavelength and intensity suggest that this fluorescence phenomena is intrinsically related to pink diamond photochromism. An energy transfer process between N3 defects and other defect species can account for both the UV-induced fluorescence intensity changes, and the apparent optical upconversion of IR light. From this standpoint, we consider the implications of this N3 fluorescence behaviour for the current understanding of pink diamond photochromism kinetics. PMID:24589842

Groundwater flow and transport often occur in a highly heterogeneous environment (potentially heterogeneous at multiple spatial scales) and is impacted by geochemical reactions, advection, diffusion, and other pore scale processes. All these factors can give rise to large-scale anomalous dispersive behavior that can make complex model representation and prediction of plume concentrations challenging due to difficulties unraveling all the complexities associated with the governing processes, flow medium, and their parameters. An alternative is to use upscaled stochastic models of anomalous dispersion, and this is the approach used here. Within a probabilistic framework, we derive a number of analytical solutions for several anomalous dispersion models. The anomalous dispersion models are allowed to be either non-Gaussian (α-stable Lévy), correlated, or nonstationary from the Lagrangian perspective. A global sensitivity analysis is performed to gain a greater understanding of the extent to which uncertainty in the parameters associated with the anomalous behavior can be narrowed by examining concentration measurements from a network of monitoring wells and to demonstrate the computational speed of the solutions. The developed analytical solutions are encoded and available for use in the open source computational framework MADS (http://mads.lanl.gov).

More than a century ago, astronomers using transit telescopes to determine precise stellar positions were hampered by an unexplained periodic shifting of the stars they were observing. With the advent of CCD transit telescopes in the past three decades, this unexplained motion, termed 'anomalous refraction' by these early astronomers, is again being observed. Anomalous refraction is described as a low-frequency, large angular scale ({approx}2 Degree-Sign ) motion of the entire image plane with respect to the celestial coordinate system as observed and defined by astrometric catalogs. These motions, of typically several tenths of an arcsecond amplitude with timescales on the order of 10 minutes, are ubiquitous to ground-based drift-scan astrometric measurements regardless of location or telescopes used and have been attributed to the effect of tilting of equal-density layers of the atmosphere. The cause of this tilting has often been attributed to atmospheric gravity waves, but this cause has never been confirmed. Although theoretical models of atmospheric refraction show that atmospheric gravity waves are a plausible cause of anomalous refraction, an observational campaign specifically directed at defining this relationship provides clear evidence that anomalous refraction is not consistent with the passage of atmospheric gravity waves. The source of anomalous refraction is found to be meter-scale, slowly evolving quasi-coherent dynamical structures in the boundary layer below 60 m above ground level.

The problem of anomalous change detection arises when two (or possibly more) images are taken of the same scene, but at different times. The aim is to discount the 'pervasive differences' that occur thoughout the imagery, due to the inevitably different conditions under which the images were taken (caused, for instance, by differences in illumination, atmospheric conditions, sensor calibration, or misregistration), and to focus instead on the 'anomalous changes' that actually take place in the scene. In general, anomalous change detection algorithms attempt to model these normal or pervasive differences, based on data taken directly from the imagery, and then identify as anomalous those pixels for which the model does not hold. For many algorithms, these models are expressed in terms of probability distributions, and there is a class of such algorithms that assume the distributions are Gaussian. By considering a broader class of distributions, however, a new class of anomalous change detection algorithms can be developed. We consider several parametric families of such distributions, derive the associated change detection algorithms, and compare the performance with standard algorithms that are based on Gaussian distributions. We find that it is often possible to significantly outperform these standard algorithms, even using relatively simple non-Gaussian models.

Over a century ago, astronomers using transit telescopes to determine precise stellar positions were hampered by an unexplained periodic shifting of the stars they were observing. With the advent of CCD transit telescopes in the past three decades, this unexplained motion, now known as "anomalous refraction," is again being observed. Anomalous refraction is described as a low frequency, large angular scale motion of the entire image plane with respect to the celestial coordinate system as observed and defined by previous astrometric catalogs. These motions of typically several tenths of an arcsecond with timescales on the order often minutes are ubiquitous to drift-scan ground-based astrometric measurements regardless of location or telescopes used and have been attributed to the effect of tilting of equal-density layers of the atmosphere. The cause of this tilting has often been attributed to atmospheric gravity waves, but never confirmed. Although theoretical models of atmospheric refraction show that atmospheric gravity waves are a plausible cause of anomalous refraction, an observational campaign specifically directed at defining this relationship provides clear evidence that anomalous refraction is not consistent with the passage of atmospheric gravity waves. The source of anomalous refraction is found to be meter scale slowly evolving coherent dynamical structures in the boundary-layer below 60 meters.

We study a heavy impurity moving longitudinal with the direction of an external magnetic field in an anomalous chiral medium. Such system would carry a nondissipative current of chiral magnetic effect associated with the anomaly. We show, by generalizing Landau's criterion for superfluidity, that the "anomalous component" which gives rise to the anomalous transport will not contribute to the drag experienced by an impurity. We argue on a very general basis that those systems with a strong magnetic field would exhibit an interesting transport phenomenon—the motion of the heavy impurity is frictionless, in analogy to the case of a superfluid. We demonstrate and confirm our general results with two complementary examples: weakly coupled chiral fermion gases and strongly interacting chiral liquids.

Anomalous Hall effect was discovered by Edwin Hall in 1880. In this talk, we report the experimental observation of the quantized version of AHE, the quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE) in thin films of Cr-doped (Bi,Sb)2Te3 magnetic topological insulator. At zero magnetic field, the gate-tuned anomalous Hall resistance exhibits a quantized value of h /e2 accompanied by a significant drop of the longitudinal resistance. The longitudinal resistance vanishes under a strong magnetic field whereas the Hall resistance remains at the quantized value. The realization of QAHE paves a way for developing low-power-consumption electronics. Implications on observing Majorana fermions and other exotic phenomena in magnetic topological insulators will also be discussed. The work was collaborated with Ke He, Yayu Wang, Xucun Ma, Xi Chen, Li Lv, Dai Xi, Zhong Fang and Shoucheng Zhang.

Variations in the origin of the long head of biceps tendon (LHBT) have been described in literature; however, its clinical significance remains uncertain. We describe in this report, the history, physical examination and the arthroscopic findings in a patient who had an anomalous origin of the LHBT from the rotator cuff, resulting in restriction of range of motion. This anomalous origin of the long head of biceps tendon causing capsular contracture and restriction of movements leading to secondary internal impingement, has not been extensively reported in the literature. Shoulder arthroscopists should be aware that, although, an uncommon clinical condition, the aberrant congenital origin of the LHBT from the rotator cuff can rarely become pathologic in middle age and lead to shoulder dysfunction. In such cases, release of the anomalous band may be required, along with the treatment of other concomitant intraarticular pathologies in the glenohumeral joint. PMID:25593361

Cold magnetized plasma possesses an anisotropic permittivity tensor with a unique dispersion relation that for adequate electron density and magnetic field results in anomalous diffraction of a right-hand circularly polarized beam. In this work, we demonstrate experimentally anomalous diffraction of a microwave beam in plasma. Additionally, decreasing the electron density enables observation of the transition of the material from a hyperbolic to a standard material. Manipulation of the control parameters will enable plasma to serve as a reconfigurable metamaterial-like medium.

Cold magnetized plasma possesses an anisotropic permittivity tensor with a unique dispersion relation that for adequate electron density and magnetic field results in anomalous diffraction of a right-hand circularly polarized beam. In this work, we demonstrate experimentally anomalous diffraction of a microwave beam in plasma. Additionally, decreasing the electron density enables observation of the transition of the material from a hyperbolic to a standard material. Manipulation of the control parameters will enable plasma to serve as a reconfigurable metamaterial-like medium. PMID:26551813

The characteristics of a potassium Faraday anomalous dispersion optical filter operating on the blue and near infrared transitions are calculated. The results show that the filter can be designed to provide high transmission, very narrow pass bandwidth, and low equivalent noise bandwidth. The Faraday anomalous dispersion optical filter (FADOF) provides a narrow pass bandwidth (about GHz) optical filter for laser communications, remote sensing, and lidar. The general theoretical model for the FADOF has been established in our previous paper. In this paper, we have identified the optimum operational conditions for a potassium FADOF operating on the blue and infrared transitions. The signal transmission, bandwidth, and equivalent noise bandwidth (ENBW) are also calculated.

The patient was 52-year-old woman. Her chief compliant was bloody sputum. The computed tomography revealed an anomalous artery from descending aorta running into left lung basal segment and anomalous left V6 return to superior pulmonary vein. The bronchoscopic examination showed normal bronchial branches. Under the diagnosis of anomalous systemic arterial supply to left basal lung without sequestration, left lower lobectomy was performed. Microscopically, the pulmonary artery showed intimal thickening and alveolar collapse with interstitial fibrosis were seen. The postoperative course was uneventful and she discharged at 6th postoperative day. PMID:25391467

We propose a generalization of the upgraded Karl-Sehgal formula which relates baryon magnetic moments to the spin structure of constituent quarks, by adding anomalous magnetic moments of quarks. We first argue that the relativistic nature of quarks inside baryons requires the introduction of two kinds of magnetisms, one axial and the other tensorial. The first one is associated with integrated quark helicity distributions {delta}{sub i}-{delta}{sub i} (standard) and the second with integrated transversity distributions {delta}{sub i}-{delta}{sub i}. The weight of each contribution is controlled by the combination of two parameters, x{sub i} the ratio of the quark mass to the average kinetic energy and a{sub i} the quark anomalous magnetic moment. The quark anomalous magnetic moment is correlated to transversity, and both are necessary ingredients in describing relativistic quarks. The proposed formula, when confronted with baryon magnetic moments data with reasonable inputs, yields, besides quark magnetic densities, anomalous magnetic moments large enough not to be ignored.

A family of difference-based anomalous change detection algorithms is derived from a total least squares (TLSQ) framework. This provides an alternative to the well-known chronochrome algorithm, which is derived from ordinary least squares. In both cases, the most anomalous changes are identified with the pixels that exhibit the largest residuals with respect to the regression of the two images against each other. The family of TLSQ-based anomalous change detectors is shown to be equivalent to the subspace RX formulation for straight anomaly detection, but applied to the stacked space. However, this family is not invariant to linear coordinate transforms. On the other hand, whitened TLSQ is coordinate invariant, and furthermore it is shown to be equivalent to the optimized covariance equalization algorithm. What whitened TLSQ offers, in addition to connecting with a common language the derivations of two of the most popular anomalous change detection algorithms - chronochrome and covariance equalization - is a generalization of these algorithms with the potential for better performance.

Anomalous adaptive conditions (AAC) associated with strabismus include: suppression, amblyopia, abnormal retinal correspondence, eccentric fixation, retinal rivalry, horror fusionis, and suspension. This article poses the hypothesis that AAC, in certain cases, may be the cause of strabismus rather than the result of strabismus. PMID:17984497

We investigate feasibility of efficient baryogenesis at the electroweak scale within the effective field theory framework based on a non-linear realisation of the electroweak gauge symmetry. In this framework the LHC Higgs boson is described by a singlet scalar field, which, therefore, admits new interactions. Assuming that Higgs couplings with the eletroweak gauge bosons are as in the Standard Model, we demonstrate that the Higgs cubic coupling and the CP-violating Higgs-top quark anomalous couplings alone may drive the a strongly first-order phase transition. The distinguished feature of this transition is that the anomalous Higgs vacuum expectation value is generally non-zero in both phases. We identify a range of anomalous couplings, consistent with current experimental data, where sphaleron rates are sufficiently fast in the `symmetric' phase and are suppressed in the `broken' phase and demonstrate that the desired baryon asymmetry can indeed be generated in this framework. This range of the Higgs anomalous couplings can be further constrained from the LHC Run 2 data and be probed at high luminosity LHC and beyond.

This proposal is designed to permit a safe and orderly recovery of the STIS FUV MAMA or NUV MAMA detector after an anomalous shutdown. This is accomplished by using slower-than-normal MCP high-voltage ramp-ups and diagnostics. Anomalous shutdowns can occur because of bright object violations which trigger the Global Hardware Monitor or the Global Software Monitor. Anomalous shutdowns can also occur because of MAMA hardware anomalies or failures. The cause of the shutdown should be thoroughly investigated and understood prior to recovery. Twenty-four hour wait intervals are required after each test for MCP gas desorption and data analysis. Event flags are used to prevent inadvertent MAMA usage.The recovery procedure consists of three separate tests {i.e. visits} to check the MAMA's health after an anomalous shutdown: 1} signal processing electronics check, 2} slow, intermediate voltage high voltage ramp-up, and 3} ramp-up to full operating voltage followed by a fold analysis test {See STIS ISR 98-02R}. Each must be successfully completed before proceeding onto the next. This proposal executes the same steps as Cycle 20 proposal 13150.

This proposal is designed to permit a safe and orderly recovery of the NUV-MAMA detector after an anomalous shutdown. This is accomplished by using slower-than-normal MCP high-voltage ramp-ups and diagnostics. Anomalous shutdowns can occur because of bright object violations which trigger the Global Hardware Monitor or the Global Software Monitor. Anomalous shutdowns can also occur because of MAMA hardware anomalies or failures. The cause of the shutdown should be thoroughly investigated and understood prior to recovery. Twenty-four hour wait intervals are required after each test for MCP gas desorption and data analysis. Event flag 2 is used to prevent inadvertent MAMA usage.The recovery procedure consists of four separate tests {i.e. visits} to check the MAMA's health after an anomalous shutdown: 1} signal processing electronics check, 2} slow, intermediate voltage high-voltage ramp-up, 3} ramp-up to full operating voltage, and 4} fold analysis test {See COS TIR 2010-01}. Each must be successfully completed before proceeding onto the next. This proposal executes the same steps as Cycle 20 proposal 13129. Adjustments were made the the Software Global Monitor {SGM} to account for an increase in the dark counts due to window glow and to align the SGM to previously obtained Fold Analysis event data.

This proposal is designed to permit a safe and orderly recovery of the NUV-MAMA detector after an anomalous shutdown. This is accomplished by using slower-than-normal MCP high-voltage ramp-ups and diagnostics. Anomalous shutdowns can occur because of bright object violations, which trigger the Global Hardware Monitor or the Global Software Monitor. Anomalous shutdowns can also occur because of MAMA hardware anomalies or failures. The cause of the shutdown should be thoroughly investigated and understood prior to recovery. Twenty-four hour wait intervals are required after each test for MCP gas desorption and data analysis. Event flag 2 is used to prevent inadvertent MAMA usage.The recovery procedure consists of four separate tests {i.e. visits} to check the MAMAâ??s health after an anomalous shutdown: signal processing electronics check, slow, intermediate voltage high-voltage ramp-up, ramp-up to full operating voltage, and fold analysis test {See COS TIR 2010-01}. Each must be successfully completed before proceeding onto the next. This proposal executes the same steps as Cycle 18 proposal 12430.

This proposal is designed to permit a safe and orderly recovery of the NUV-MAMA detector after an anomalous shutdown. This is accomplished by using slower-than-normal MCP high-voltage ramp-ups and diagnostics. Anomalous shutdowns can occur because of bright object violations, which trigger the Global Hardware Monitor or the Global Software Monitor. Anomalous shutdowns can also occur because of MAMA hardware anomalies or failures. The cause of the shutdown should be thoroughly investigated and understood prior to recovery. Twenty-four hour wait intervals are required after each test for MCP gas desorption and data analysis. Event flag 2 is used to prevent inadvertent MAMA usage.The recovery procedure consists of four separate tests {i.e. visits} to check the MAMAâ_Ts health after an anomalous shutdown: 1} signal processing electronics check, 2} slow, intermediate voltage high-voltage ramp-up, 3} ramp-up to full operating voltage, and 4} fold analysis test {See COS TIR 2010-01}. Each must be successfully completed before proceeding onto the next. This proposal executes almost the same steps as Cycle 19 proposal 12723. Adjustments were made the the Software Global Monitor {SGM} to account for an increase in the dark counts due to window glow and to align the SGM to previously obtained Fold Analysis event data.

This proposal is designed to permit a safe and orderly recovery of the SBC {FUV MAMA} detector after an anomalous shutdown. This is accomplished by using slower-than-normal MCP high-voltage ramp-ups and diagnostics. Anomalous shutdowns can occur because of bright object violations, which trigger the Global Hardware Monitor or the Global Software Monitor. Anomalous shutdowns can also occur because of MAMA hardware anomalies or failures. The cause of the shutdown should be thoroughly investigated and understood prior to recovery. Twenty-four hour wait intervals are required after each test for MCP gas desorption and data analysis. Event flag 2 is used to prevent inadvertent MAMA usage. The recovery procedure consists of four separate tests {i.e. visits} to check the MAMA's health after an anomalous shutdown: 1} signal processing electronics check, 2} slow, high-voltage ramp-up to an intermediate voltage, 3} a slow high-voltage ramp-up to the nominal operating HV, and 4} fold analysis test. Each must be completed successfully before proceeding onto the next. During the two high-voltage ramp-ups, dark ACCUM exposures are taken. At high voltage, dark ACCUM exposures and diagnostics are taken. This proposal is based on Proposal 13163 from Cycle 20. For additional MAMA recovery information, see STIS ISR 98-02R.

This proposal is designed to permit a safe and orderly recovery of the STIS FUV MAMA or NUV MAMA detector after an anomalous shutdown. This is accomplished by using slower-than-normal MCP high-voltage ramp-ups and diagnostics. Anomalous shutdowns can occur because of bright object violations, which trigger the Global Hardware Monitor or the Global Software Monitor. Anomalous shutdowns can also occur because of MAMA hardware anomalies or failures. The cause of the shutdown should be thoroughly investigated and understood prior to recovery. Twenty-four hour wait intervals are required after each test for MCP gas desorption and data analysis. Event flags are used to prevent inadvertent MAMA usage.The recovery procedure consists of three separate tests {i.e. visits} to check the MAMAâ_Ts health after an anomalous shutdown: 1} signal processing electronics check, 2} slow, intermediate voltage high voltage ramp-up, and 3} ramp-up to full operating voltage followed by a fold analysis test {See STIS ISR 98-02R}. Each must be successfully completed before proceeding onto the next. This proposal executes the same steps as Cycle 19 proposal 12779.

We present a new mechanism for solving the strong CP problem using a Z_{2} discrete symmetry and an anomalous U(1) symmetry. A Z_{2} symmetry is used so that two gauge groups have the same theta angle. An anomalous U(1) symmetry makes the difference between the two theta angles physical and the sum unphysical. Two models are presented where the anomalous symmetry manifests itself in the IR in different ways. In the first model, there are massless bifundamental quarks, a solution reminiscent of the massless up quark solution. In the IR of this model, the η^{'} boson relaxes the QCD theta angle to the difference between the two theta angles-in this case zero. In the second model, the anomalous U(1) symmetry is realized in the IR as a dynamically generated mass term that has exactly the phase needed to cancel the theta angle. Both of these models make the extremely concrete prediction that there exist new colored particles at the TeV scale. PMID:25910109

In September, 1996, anomalous pocketing erosion was observed in the aft end of the throat ring of the nozzle of one of the reusable solid rocket motors (RSRM 56B) used on NASA's space transportation system (STS) mission 79. The RSRM throat ring is constructed of bias tape-wrapped carbon cloth/ phenolic (CCP) ablative material. A comprehensive investigation revealed necessary and sufficient conditions for occurrence of the pocketing event and provided rationale that the solid rocket motors for the subsequent mission, STS-80, were safe to fly. The nozzles of both of these motors also exhibited anomalous erosion similar to, but less extensive than that observed on STS-79. Subsequent to this flight, the investigation to identify both the specific causes and the corrective actions for elimination of the necessary and sufficient conditions for the pocketing erosion was intensified. A detailed fault tree approach was utilized to examine potential material and process contributors to the anomalous performance. The investigation involved extensive constituent and component material property testing, pedigree assessments, supplier audits, process audits, full scale processing test article fabrication and evaluation, thermal and thermostructural analyses, nondestructive evaluation, and material performance tests conducted using hot fire simulation in laboratory test beds and subscale and full scale solid rocket motor static test firings. This presentation will provide an over-view of the observed anomalous nozzle erosion and the comprehensive, fault-tree based investigation conducted to resolve this issue.

Spontaneous breaking of time-reversal symmetry in superconductors with the px+i py symmetry of the order parameter allows for a class of effects which are analogous to the anomalous Hall effect in ferromagnets. These effects exist below the critical temperature, T anomalous Hall thermal conductivity, the polar Kerr effect, the anomalous Hall effect, and the anomalous photo- and acousto-galvanic effects.

This paper investigates the excitation (flutter) of a membrane in the flow of a liquid of finite depth due to the emission of long gravity waves. It is shown that loss of stability occurs due to predominance of emission of gravity waves of negative energy (anomalous Doppler effect) over waves of positive energy. Estimates of typical increments are presented; the instability develops during a period that approximately equals 1/7 sec.

In addition to possessing fractional statistics, anyon excitations of a 2D topologically ordered state can realize symmetry in distinct ways, leading to a variety of symmetry-enriched topological (SET) phases. While the symmetry fractionalization must be consistent with the fusion and braiding rules of the anyons, not all ostensibly consistent symmetry fractionalizations can be realized in 2D systems. Instead, certain "anomalous" SETs can only occur on the surface of a 3D symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phase. In this paper, we describe a procedure for determining whether a SET of a discrete, on-site, unitary symmetry group G is anomalous or not. The basic idea is to gauge the symmetry and expose the anomaly as an obstruction to a consistent topological theory combining both the original anyons and the gauge fluxes. Utilizing a result of Etingof, Nikshych, and Ostrik, we point out that a class of obstructions is captured by the fourth cohomology group H4(G ,U (1 )) , which also precisely labels the set of 3D SPT phases, with symmetry group G . An explicit procedure for calculating the cohomology data from a SET is given, with the corresponding physical intuition explained. We thus establish a general bulk-boundary correspondence between the anomalous SET and the 3D bulk SPT whose surface termination realizes it. We illustrate this idea using the chiral spin liquid [U (1 )2 ] topological order with a reduced symmetry Z2×Z2⊂SO (3 ) , which can act on the semion quasiparticle in an anomalous way. We construct exactly solved 3D SPT models realizing the anomalous surface terminations and demonstrate that they are nontrivial by computing three-loop braiding statistics. Possible extensions to antiunitary symmetries are also discussed.

The anomalous dimensions of light-ray operators of twist two are obtained by analytical continuation of the anomalous dimensions of corresponding local operators. I demonstrate that the asymptotics of these anomalous dimensions at the "BFKL point" j → 1 can be obtained by comparing the light-cone operator expansion with the high-energy expansion in Wilson lines.

The field theoretic renormalization group and operator product expansion are applied to the Kazantsev-Kraichnan kinematic model for the magnetohydrodynamic turbulence. The anomalous scaling emerges as a consequence of the existence of certain composite fields ("operators") with negative dimensions. The anomalous exponents for the correlation functions of arbitrary order are calculated in the two-loop approximation (second order of the renormalization-group expansion), including the anisotropic sectors. The anomalous scaling and the hierarchy of anisotropic contributions become stronger due to those second-order contributions. PMID:23005154

Using laser induced fluorescence and passive spectroscopy on a magnetically confined low-temperature plasma, anomalous ion heating is observed which exceeds collisional heating from the electrons by a factor of up to five. Direct wave heating due to the 2.45 GHz microwave as well as stochastic heating by large-amplitude fluctuations could be ruled out as explanations. Good quantitative agreement is found when comparing the missing power in the ion species with heating power due to the dissipation of drift-wave turbulence. This turbulent energy transfer into the ion channel could have important consequences for the interpretation of transport in fusion plasmas. PMID:21231054

We developed a set of interference-based optical microscopy techniques to study biological structures through nanometer-scale axial localization of fluorescent biomarkers. Spectral self-interference fluorescence microscopy (SSFM) utilizes interference of direct and reflected waves emitted from fluorescent molecules in the vicinity of planar reflectors to reveal the axial position of the molecules. A comprehensive calculation algorithm based on Green's function formalism is presented to verify the validity of approximations used in a far-field approach that describes the emission of fluorescent markers near interfaces. Using the validated model, theoretical limits of axial localization were determined with emphasis given to numerical aperture (NA) dependence of localization uncertainty. SSFM was experimentally demonstrated in conformational analysis of nucleoproteins. In particular, interaction between surface-tethered 75-mer double strand DNA and integration host factor (IHF) protein was probed on Si-SiO2 substrates by determining the axial position of fluorescent labels attached to the free ends of DNA molecules. Despite its sub-nanometer precision axial localization capability, SSFM lacks high lateral resolution due to the low-NA requirement for planar reflectors. We developed a second technique, 4Pi-SSFM, which improves the lateral resolution of a conventional SSFM system by an order of magnitude while achieving nanometer-scale axial localization precision. Using two opposing high-NA objectives, fluorescence signal is interferometrically collected and spectral interference pattern is recorded. Axial position of emitters is found from analysis of the spectra. The 4Pi-SSFM technique was experimentally demonstrated by determining the surface profiles of fabricated glass surfaces and outer membranes of Shigella, a type of Gram-negative bacteria. A further discussion is presented to localize surface O antigen, which is an important oligosaccharide structure in the

This study of the fluorescence of natural enamel and of dental ceramics shows the fluorescence of ceramics not containing rare earths decreases when the color saturation increases; the fluorescence of samples of the same shade guide are not homogenous; some guides show a strong green fluorescence; and two shade guides of the same origin can present completely different fluorescence. The cementing medium can affect the fluorescence of a ceramic prosthesis. PMID:8455155

Transparent media exhibiting anomalous dispersion have been of considerable interest since Wang, Kuzmich, and Dogariu [Nature 406, 277 (2000)] first observed light propagate with superluminal and negative group velocities without absorption. Here, we propose an atomic model exhibiting these properties, based on a generalization of amplification without inversion in a five-level dressed interacting ground-state system. The system consists of a {Lambda} atom prepared as in standard electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT), with two additional metastable ground states coupled to the {Lambda} atom ground states by two rf-microwave fields. We consider two configurations by which population is incoherently pumped into the ground states of the atom. Under appropriate circumstances, we predict a pair of new gain lines with tunable width, separation, and height. Between these lines, absorption vanishes but dispersion is large and anomalous. The system described here is a significant improvement over other proposals in the anomalous dispersion literature in that it permits additional coherent control over the spectral properties of the anomalous region, including a possible 10{sup 4}-fold increase over the group delay observed by Wang, Kuzmich, and Dogariu.

In order to correct secondary longitudinal chromatic aberration in conventional refracting optical systems, it is necessary to use at least one optical material having anomalous partial dispersion. A novel lens system with correction of the secondary spectrum by using only normal glasses is presented. The lens system comprises three widely separated lens components; both second and third components are subaperture. The presented example of an apochromatic telescope demonstrates secondary spectrum correction with the use of only crown BK7 and flint F2, which are among the most inexpensive optical glasses available at the market. Two more similar designs are presented, both with the use of low-cost slightly anomalous dispersion glasses. These telescopes have a higher relative aperture and a smaller tertiary spectrum.

The analysis of orbital debris data shows a band of anomalously high debris concentration in the altitude range between 800 and 1000 km. Analysis indicates that the origin is the leaking coolant fluid from nuclear power sources that powered a now defunct Soviet space-based series of ocean surveillance satellites. A project carried out to detect, track and characterize a sample of the anomalous debris is reported. The nature of the size and shape of the sample set, and the possibility of inferring the composition of the droplets were assessed. The technique used to detect, track and characterize the sample set is described and the results of the characterization analysis are presented. It is concluded that the nature of the debris is consistent with leaked Na-K fluid, although this cannot be proved with the remote sensing techniques used.

We revisit the strong coupling limit of the cusp anomalous dimension in planar N=4 super Yang-Mills theory. It is known that the strong coupling expansion is asymptotic and non-Borel summable. As a consequence, the cusp anomalous dimension receives non-perturbative corrections, and the complete strong coupling expansion should be a resurgent transseries. We reveal that the perturbative and non-perturbative parts in the transseries are closely interrelated. Solving the Beisert-Eden-Staudacher equation systematically, we analyze in detail the large order behavior in the strong coupling pertur- bative expansion and show that the non-perturbative information is indeed encoded there. An ambiguity of (lateral) Borel resummations of the perturbative expansion is precisely canceled by the contributions from the non-perturbative sectors, and the final result is real and unambiguous.

The Cherenkov effect is a well-known phenomenon in the electrodynamics of fast charged particles passing through transparent media. If the particle is faster than the light in a given medium, the medium emits a forward light cone. This beautiful phenomenon has an acoustic counterpart where the role of photons is played by phonons and the role of the speed of light is played by the sound velocity. In this case the medium emits a forward sound cone. Here, we show that in a system with spin-orbit interactions in addition to this normal Cherenkov sound there appears an anomalous Cherenkov sound with forward and backward sound propagation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the transition from the normal to anomalous Cherenkov sound happens in a singular way at the Cherenkov cone angle. The detection of this acoustic singularity therefore represents an alternative experimental tool for the measurement of the spin-orbit coupling strength.

We have introduced a set of coupled fractional reaction-diffusion equations to model a multispecies system undergoing anomalous subdiffusion with linear reaction dynamics. The model equations are derived from a mesoscopic continuous time random walk formulation of anomalously diffusing species with linear mean field reaction kinetics. The effect of reactions is manifest in reaction modified spatiotemporal diffusion operators as well as in additive mean field reaction terms. One consequence of the nonseparability of reaction and subdiffusion terms is that the governing evolution equation for the concentration of one particular species may include both reactive and diffusive contributions from other species. The general solution is derived for the multispecies system and some particular special cases involving both irreversible and reversible reaction dynamics are analyzed in detail. We have carried out Monte Carlo simulations corresponding to these special cases and we find excellent agreement with theory. PMID:18351991

Most mafic achondrites are broadly "eucritic", being composed of ferroan low-Ca clinopyroxene, high-Ca plagioclase, a silica phase, ilmenite and accessory phases. Their characteristics indicate that eucrite-like basalts formed on asteroids of similar composition under similar petrologic conditions (T, P, fO2). Some eucrite-like basalts have isotopic compositions and petrologic characteristics consistent with formation on different parent asteroids (e.g., Ibitira, NWA 011). Others show small isotopic differences but no distinguishing petrological characteristics (e.g., Caldera, Pasamonte). We have begun a study of anomalous eucrite-like achondrites in an effort to seek resolution to the issues: Did the eucrite parent asteroid fail to homogenize via a magma-ocean stage, thus explaining outliers like Pasamonte? How many parent asteroids are represented by these basalts? Here we present preliminary petrologic information on anomalous basaltic eucrite QUE 94484.

Anomalous thermal expansion is treated through an analytical approach, based on the anharmonic behavior of lattice vibrations of the solids CuCl and CuBr of which complete ir spectroscopic data were available for the low temperature region. In the two cases examined here, anomalous thermal expansion as well as change of anharmonic factor, as a function of temperature, show a mirrorlike proportionality. In addition, drastic changes of ir energy absorption take place within the temperature region of reexpansion, suggesting a substantial increase of the ionic fraction of binding, coupled with a corresponding decrease of the covalent fraction, within the re-expansion period. These striking events appear to be the basic reason for the re-expansion phenomenon, since the sum value of the ionic radii of the compounds in question is greater than the sum value of the covalent radii, thus enlarging the interatomic distance, instead of contracting it. PMID:20119115

A method for locating and mapping the magnitude and extent of terrestrial heat-flow anomalies from 5 to 50 times average with a tenfold improved sensitivity over orthodox applications of aerial temperature-sensing surveys as used for geothermal reconnaissance. The method remotely senses surface temperature anomalies such as occur from geothermal resources or oxidizing ore bodies by: measuring the spectral, spatial, statistical, thermal, and temporal features characterizing infrared radiation emitted by natural terrestrial surfaces; deriving from these measurements the true surface temperature with uncertainties as small as 0.05 to 0.5 K; removing effects related to natural temperature variations of topographic, hydrologic, or meteoric origin, the surface composition, detector noise, and atmospheric conditions; factoring out the ambient normal-surface temperature for non-thermally enhanced areas surveyed under otherwise identical environmental conditions; distinguishing significant residual temperature enhancements characteristic of anomalous heat flows and mapping the extent and magnitude of anomalous heat flows where they occur.

In order to correct secondary longitudinal chromatic aberration in conventional refracting optical systems, it is necessary to use at least one optical material having anomalous partial dispersion. A novel lens system with correction of the secondary spectrum by using only normal glasses is presented. The lens system comprises three widely separated lens components; both second and third components are subaperture. The presented example of an apochromatic telescope demonstrates secondary spectrum correction with the use of only crown BK7 and flint F2, which are among the most inexpensive optical glasses available at the market. Two more similar designs are presented, both with the use of low-cost slightly anomalous dispersion glasses. These telescopes have a higher relative aperture and a smaller tertiary spectrum. PMID:16826255

We present a theory of the anomalous Hall effect in a topological Weyl superconductor with broken time reversal symmetry. Specifically, we consider a ferromagnetic Weyl metal with two Weyl nodes of opposite chirality near the Fermi energy. In the presence of inversion symmetry, such a metal experiences a weak-coupling Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer instability, with pairing of parity-related eigenstates. Due to the nonzero topological charge, carried by the Weyl nodes, such a superconductor is necessarily topologically nontrivial, with Majorana surface states coexisting with the Fermi arcs of the normal Weyl metal. We demonstrate that, surprisingly, the anomalous Hall conductivity of such a superconducting Weyl metal coincides with that of a nonsuperconducting one, under certain conditions, in spite of the nonconservation of charge in a superconductor. We relate this to the existence of an extra (nearly) conserved quantity in a Weyl metal, the chiral charge.

Simultaneous acquisition of phase-contrast light microscopy and fluorescently labeled bacteria, moving within a dense swarm, reveals the intricate interactions between cells and the collective flow around them. By comparing wild-type and immotile cells embedded in a dense wild-type swarm, the effect of the active thrust generated by the flagella can be singled out. It is shown that while the distribution of angles among cell velocity, cell orientation, and the local flow around it is Gaussian-like for immotile bacteria, wild-type cells exhibit anomalous non-Gaussian deviations and are able to move in trajectories perpendicular to the collective flow. Thus, cells can maneuver or switch between local streams and jets. A minimal model describing bacteria as hydrodynamic force dipoles shows that steric effects, hydrodynamics interactions, and local alignments all have to be taken into account to explain the observed dynamics. These findings shed light on the physical mechanisms underlying bacterial swarming and the balance between individual and collective dynamics. PMID:27410751

A comprehensive analysis of measurements supporting the presence of anomalous cross-field electron mobility in Hall plasma accelerators is presented. Nonintrusive laser-induced fluorescence measurements of neutral xenon and ionized xenon velocities, and various electrostatic probe diagnostic measurements are used to locally determine the effective electron Hall parameter inside the accelerator channel. These values are then compared to the classical (collision-driven) Hall parameters expected for a quiescent magnetized plasma. The results indicate that in the vicinity of the anode, where there are fewer plasma instabilities, the electron-transport mechanism is likely elastic collisions with the background neutral xenon. However, we find that in the vicinity of the discharge channel exit, where the magnetic field is the strongest and where there are intense fluctuations in the plasma properties, the inferred Hall parameter departs from the classical value, and is close to the Bohm value of (omega(ce)tau)(eff) approximately 16. These results are used to support a simple model for the Hall parameter that is based on the scalar addition of the electron collision frequencies (elastic collision induced plus fluctuation induced), as proposed by Boeuf and Garrigues [J. Appl. Phys. 84, 3541 (1998)]. The results also draw attention to the possible role of fluctuations in enhancing electron transport in regions where the electrons are highly magnetized. PMID:11308588

Motivated by the general problem of moving topological defects in an otherwise ordered state and specifically, by the anomalous dynamics observed in vortex-antivortex annihilation and coarsening experiments in freely-suspended smectic-C films, I study the deformation, energetics and dynamics of moving vortices in an overdamped xy-model and show that their properties are significantly and qualitatively modified by the motion. Supported by NSF through DMR-1001240, MRSEC DMR-0820579, and by Simons Investigator award from Simons Foundation.

In non-linear realisation of the electroweak gauge symmetry, the LHC Higgs boson can be assumed to be a singlet under SU(2)L ⊗ U(1)Y. In such scenario, the Standard Model particle content can be kept but new sets of couplings are allowed. We identify a range of anomalous Higgs cubic and the 𝒞𝒫-violating Higgs-top quark couplings that leads to first order phase transition and successful baryogenesis at the electroweak scale.

Motivated by the general problem of moving topological defects in an otherwise ordered state and specifically, by the anomalous dynamics observed in vortex-antivortex annihilation and coarsening experiments in freely suspended smectic-C films, I study the deformation, energetics, and dynamics of moving vortices in an overdamped X Y model and show that their properties are significantly and qualitatively modified by the motion.

Anomalous scaling laws appear in a wide class of phenomena where global dilation invariance fails. In this case, the description of scaling properties requires the introduction of an infinite set of exponents. Numerical and experimental evidence indicates that this description is relevant in the theory of dynamical systems, of fully developed turbulence, in the statistical mechanics of disordered systems, and in some condensed matter problems. We describe anomalous scaling in terms of multifractal objects. They are defined by a measure whose scaling properties are characterized by a family of singularities, which are identified by a scaling exponent. Singularities corresponding to the same exponent are distributed on fractal set. The multifractal object arises as the superposition of these sets, whose fractal dimensions are related to the anomalous scaling exponents via a Legendre transformation. It is thus possible to reconstruct the probability distribution of the singularity exponents. We review the application of this formalism to the description of chaotic attractors in dissipative systems, of the energy dissipating set in fully developed turbulence, of some probability distributions in condensed matter problems. Moreover, a simple extension of the method allows us to treat from the same point of view temporal intermittency in chaotic systems and sample to sample fluctuations in disordered systems. We stress the phenomenological nature of the approach and discuss the few cases in which it was possible to reach a more fundamental understanding of anomalous scaling. We point out the need of a theory which should explain its origin and pave the way to a microscopic calculation of the probability distribution of the singularities.

Motivated by the general problem of moving topological defects in an otherwise ordered state and specifically, by the anomalous dynamics observed in vortex-antivortex annihilation and coarsening experiments in freely suspended smectic-C films, I study the deformation, energetics, and dynamics of moving vortices in an overdamped XY model and show that their properties are significantly and qualitatively modified by the motion. PMID:26705656

The result of the trading model by Chakrabarti et al. [1] is the wealth distribution with a mixed exponential and power law distribution. Based on the motivation of studying the dynamics behind the flow of money similar to work done by Brockmann [2, 3] we track the flow of money in this trading model to observe anomalous diffusion in the form of long waiting times and Levy Flights.

Anomalous charge carrier transport in disordered organic semiconductors is studied using fractional differential equations. The connection between index of fractional derivative and dispersion exponent is examined from the perspective of fractional Fokker-Planck equation and its link to the continuous time random walk formalism. The fractional model is used to describe the bi-scaling power-laws observed in the time-of flight photo-current transient data for two different types of organic semiconductors.

We report that nontrivial topology of a driven Brownian particle restricted on a ring leads to anomalous behaviors on free energy change. Starting from steady states with identical distribution and current on the ring, free energy changes are distinct and nonperiodic after the system is driven by the same periodic force protocol. We demonstrate our observation in examples through both exact solutions and numerical simulations. The free energy calculated here can be measured in recent experimental systems.

We bound anomalous gauge boson couplings using LEP data for the Z {yields} {bar {integral}}{integral} partial widths. We use an effective field theory formalism to compute the one-loop corrections resulting from non-standard model three and four gauge boson vertices. We find that measurements at LEP constrain the three gauge boson couplings at a level comparable to that obtainable at LEPII.

Background Anomalous coronary arteries (ACAs) are rare but potentially life-threatening abnormalities of coronary circulation. Most variations are benign; however, some may lead to myocardial ischemia and/or sudden cardiac arrest. Case Report We present the case of a patient with a significant medical history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and gastroesophageal reflux disease who presented to the emergency department with atypical chest pain. She underwent a cardiac catheterization that showed an anomalous right coronary artery originating near the anterior left coronary artery sinus and coursing between the pulmonary artery and aorta. The patient was deemed a poor surgical candidate, was discharged home on medical management with beta blocker therapy, and was instructed to restrict her physical activity. Conclusion Treatment of significant anomalies should be guided by the nature of the anomalous vessel. Symptomatic patients with ACAs have 3 treatment options: medical management, coronary angioplasty and stent deployment, or surgical correction. These treatment options remain controversial. Some clinicians advocate revascularization, but the long-term benefits of revascularization therapies have not yet been demonstrated. PMID:24940145

Many types of meniscal anomalies have been reported. The authors encountered two cases of anomalous insertion of the anterior horn of the medial menisci to the lateral femoral condyle, which ran up along the course of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), but was independent of the ACL. These anomalies were noted during arthroscopic examination and surgery of the ipsilateral knee for a torn discoid meniscus and a patellar fracture. A 34-year-old woman had a horizontal tear of the lateral discoid meniscus. We performed arthroscopic partial meniscectomy of the inner torn portion of the lateral discoid meniscus and contoured it to resemble a normal meniscus. An anomalous insertion of the medial meniscus was found on examination of the joint during surgery. A 32-year-old man had a patellar fracture and we performed reduction under arthroscopy and internal fixation with cannulated screws. The same anomalous insertion of the medial meniscus was also found on examination of the joint during surgery. We report the cases with a review of the literature. PMID:9681544

In only a few years, multiple wavelength anomalous diffraction (MAD) phasing has advanced from an esoteric technique used in only a few favorable cases to the method of choice for solving new macromolecular structures. Before 1994, MAD phasing had been used for fewer than a dozen new structure determinations. In 1999 alone, well over 100 new structures were determined by MAD phasing. The meteoric rise in MAD applications resulted from the availability of new synchrotron beamlines, equipped with low bandpass optics, fast readout detectors, cryogenic cooling and user-friendly interfaces. The power of MAD phasing has been amplified by the availability of new computer programs for locating the positions of the anomalous scattering atoms and for calculating phases from the experimental data. Phasing by anomalous scattering techniques has been applied to structures as large as 640 kDa and 120 selenium atoms in the asymmetric unit. The practical size limitation for application of MAD phasing techniques has not yet been encountered. PMID:11006535

Significant changes in the small angle scattered intensity can be induced by making measurements with radiation close to an absorption edge of an appropriate atomic species contained in the sample. These changes can be related quantitatively to the real and imaginary anomalous dispersion terms for the scattering factor (x-rays) or scattering length (neutrons). The physics inherent in these anomalous dispersion terms is first discussed before considering how they enter the relevant scattering theory. Two major areas of anomalous scattering research have emerged; macromolecules in solution and unmixing of metallic alloys. Research in each area is reviewed, illustrating both the feasibility and potential of these techniques. All the experimental results reported to date have been obtained with x-rays. However, it is pointed out that the formalism is the same for the analogue experiment with neutrons, and a number of suitable isotopes exist which exhibit resonance in an accessible range of energy. Potential applications of resonance small angle neutron scatterings are discussed. 54 refs., 8 figs., 1 tab.

Significant changes in the small angle scattered intensity can be induced by making measurements with radiation close to an absorption edge of an appropriate atomic species contained in the sample. These changes can be related quantitatively to the real and imaginary anomalous dispersion terms for the scattering factor (x-rays) or scattering length (neutrons). The physics inherent in these anomalous dispersion terms is first discussed before considering how they enter the relevant scattering theory. Two major areas of anomalous scattering research have emerged; macromolecules in solution and unmixing of metallic alloys. Research in each area is reviewed, illustrating both the feasibility and potential of these techniques. All the experimental results reported to date have been obtained with x-rays. However, it is pointed out that the formalism is the same or the analogue experiment with neutrons, and a number of suitable isotopes exist which exhibit resonance in an accessible range of energy. Potential applications of resonance small-angle neutron scatterings are discussed. 8 figs.

We introduced simple microscopic non-Markovian walk models which describe the underlying mechanism of anomalous diffusions. In the models, we considered the competitions between randomness and memory effects of previous history by introducing the probability parameters. The memory effects were considered in two aspects: one is the perfect memory of whole history and the other is the latest memory enhanced with time. In the perfect memory model superdiffusion was induced with the relation of the Hurst exponent H to the controlling parameter p as H =p for p >1/2, while in the latest memory enhancement models, anomalous diffusions involving both superdiffusion and subdiffusion were induced with the relations H =(1+α)/2 and H =(1-α)/2 for 0≤α≤1, where α is the parameter controlling the degree of the latest memory enhancement. Also we found that, although the latest memory was only considered, the memory improved with time results in the long-range correlations between steps and the correlations increase as time goes on. Thus we suggest the memory enhancement as a key origin describing anomalous diffusions.

The production of negative hydrogen ions is investigated in the reflex-type negative ion source. The extracted negative hydrogen currents of 9.7 mA (100 mA/cm/sup 2/) for H/sup -/ and of 4.1 mA (42 mA/cm/sup 2/) for D/sup -/ are obtained continuously. The impurity is less then 1%. An isotope effect of negative ion production is observed. When anomalous diffusion in the positive column was found by Lehnert and Hoh (1960), it was pointed out that the large particle loss produced by anomalous diffusion is compensated by the large particle production inside the plasma, i.e., the plasma tries to maintain itself. The self-sustaining property of the plasma is applied to the reflex-type negative ion source. Anomalous diffusion was artificially encouraged by changing the radial electric field inside the reflex discharge. The apparent encouragement of negative ion diffusion by the increase of density fluctuation amplitude is observed. Twice as much negative ion current was obtained with the artificial encouragement as without. It is found from the quasilinear theory that the inwardly directed radial electric field destabilizes the plasma in the reflex-type ion source. The nonlinear theory based on Yoshikawa method (1962) is extended, and the anomalous diffusion coefficient in a weakly ionized plasma is obtained. The electrostatic sheath trap, which increases the confinement of negative ions in the reflex-type ion source, is also discussed.

We demonstrate that rigidifying the structure of fluorescent linkers by structurally constraining them in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) to control their conformation effectively tunes the fluorescence energy and enhances the quantum yield. Thus, a new tetraphenylethylene-based zirconium MOF exhibits a deep-blue fluorescent emission at 470 nm with a unity quantum yield (99.9 +/- 0.5%) under Ar, representing ca. 3600 cm(-1) blue shift and doubled radiative decay efficiency vs the linker precursor. An anomalous increase in the fluorescence lifetime and relative intensity takes place upon heating the solid MOF from cryogenic to ambient temperatures. The origin of these unusual photoluminescence properties is attributed to twisted linker conformation, intramolecular hindrance, and framework rigidity.

We demonstrate that rigidifying the structure of fluorescent linkers by structurally constraining them in metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) to control their conformation effectively tunes the fluorescence energy and enhances the quantum yield. Thus, a new tetraphenylethylene-based zirconium MOF exhibits a deep-blue fluorescent emission at 470 nm with a unity quantum yield (99.9 ± 0.5%) under Ar, representing ca. 3600 cm⁻¹ blue shift and doubled radiative decay efficiency vs the linker precursor. An anomalous increase in the fluorescence lifetime and relative intensity takes place upon heating the solid MOF from cryogenic to ambient temperatures. The origin of these unusual photoluminescence properties is attributed to twisted linker conformation, intramolecular hindrance, and framework rigidity.

Macromolecular crowding (MMC) has been used in various in vitro experimental systems to mimic in vivo physiology. This is because the crowded cytoplasm of cells contains many different types of solutes dissolved in an aqueous medium. MMC in the extracellular microenvironment is involved in maintaining stem cells in their undifferentiated state (niche) as well as in aiding their differentiation after they have travelled to new locations outside the niche. MMC at physiologically relevant fractional volume occupancies (FVOs) significantly enhances the adipogenic differentiation of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells during chemically induced adipogenesis. The mechanism by which MMC produces this enhancement is not entirely known. In the context of extracellular collagen deposition, we have recently reported the importance of optimizing the FVO while minimizing the bulk viscosity. Two opposing properties will determine the net rate of a biochemical reaction: the negative effect of bulk viscosity and the positive effect of the excluded volume, the latter being expressed by the FVO. In this study we have looked more closely at the effect of viscosity on reaction rates. We have used fluorimetry to measure the rate of actin polymerization and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) to measure diffusion of various probes in solutions containing the crowder Ficoll at physiological concentrations. Similar to its effect on collagen, Ficoll enhanced the actin polymerization rate despite increasing the bulk viscosity. Our FCS measurements reveal a relatively minor component of anomalous diffusion. In addition, our measurements do suggest that microviscosity becomes relevant in a crowded environment. We ruled out bulk viscosity as a cause of the rate enhancement by performing the actin polymerization assay in glycerol. These opposite effects of Ficoll and glycerol led us to conclude that microviscosity becomes relevant at the length scale of the reacting

Electrical resistivity, magnetoresistance and their temperature dependences in (SNBry)x are measured for various quantity of y. By bromination, negative magnetoresistance is enhanced at 4.2 K and also appears even at 77 K, at which temperature negative magnetoresistance is not observed in undoped (SN)x. These features are remarkable for the samples heavily doped and just after doping, and are abated by pumping bromine from (SNBry)x for a few days. The possible origins for the anomalousnegative magnetoresistance are discussed taking the surface state of fiber bundles or crystal due to adsorped bromine into consideration.

The multiwavelength anomalous diffraction (MAD) method for phase evaluation is now widely used in macromolecular crystallography. Successful MAD structure determinations have been carried out at the K or L absorption edges of a variety of elements. In this study, we investigate the anomalous scattering properties of uranium at its MIV (3.326 Å) and MV (3.490 Å) edge. Fluorescence spectra showed remarkably strong anomalous scattering at these edges (f′ = −70e, f′′ = 80e at the MIV edge and f′ = −90e, f′′ = 105e at the MV edge), many times higher than from any anomalous scatterers used previously for MAD phasing. However, the large scattering angles and high absorption at the low energies of these edges present some difficulties not found in typical crystallographic studies. We conducted test experiments at the MIV edge with crystals of porcine elastase derivatized with uranyl nitrate. A four-wavelength MAD data set complete to 3.2-Å Bragg spacings was collected from a single small frozen crystal. Analysis of the data yielded satisfactory phase information (average difference of 0ϕT − 0ϕA for replicated determinations is 32°) and produced an interpretable electron-density map. Our results demonstrate that it is practical to measure macromolecular diffraction data at these edges with current instrumentation and that phase information of good accuracy can be extracted from such experiments. We show that such experiments have potential for the phasing of very large macromolecular assemblages. PMID:11526210

Anomalous subdiffusion governs the processes which are not energetically driven, on a molecular scale. This paper proposes a model to predict the response of electrochemical impedance due to such diffusion process. Previous works considered the use of fractional calculus to predict the impedance behaviour in response to the anomalous diffusion. Here, we have developed an expression which predicts the skin-effect, marked by an increase in the impedance with increasing frequency, in this regime. Negative inductances have also been predicted as a consequence of the inertial response of adsorbed species upon application of frequency-mediated perturbations. It might help the researchers in the fields of impedimetric sensors to choose the working frequency and those working in the field of batteries to choose the parameters, likewise. This work would shed some light into the molecular mechanisms governing the impedance when exposed to frequency-based perturbations like electromagnetic waves (microwaves to ionizing radiations) and in charge storage devices like batteries etc.

We discuss the application of fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) for characterization of anomalous diffusion of tracer particles in crowded environments. While the fact of anomaly may be detected by the standard fitting procedure, the value of the exponent α of anomalous diffusion may be not reproduced correctly for non-Gaussian anomalous diffusion processes. The important information is however contained in the asymptotic behavior of the fluorescence autocorrelation function at long and at short times. Thus, analysis of the short-time behavior gives reliable values of α and of lower moments of the distribution of particles' displacement, which allows us to confirm or reject its Gaussian nature. The method proposed was tested on the FCS data obtained in artificial crowded fluids and in living cells.

This chapter discusses the fundamental physics of fluorescence. The application of fluorescence to microscopy represents an important transition in the development of microscopy, particularly as it applies to biology. It enables quantitating the amounts of specific molecules within a cell, determining whether molecules are complexing on a molecular level, measuring changes in ionic concentrations within cells and organelles, and measuring molecular dynamics. This chapter also discusses the issues important to quantitative measurement of fluorescence and focuses on four of quantitative measurements of fluorescence--boxcar-gated detection, streak cameras, photon correlation, and phase modulation. Although quantitative measurement presents many pitfalls to the beginner, it also presents significant opportunities to one skilled in the art. This chapter also examines how fluorescence is measured in the steady state and time domain and how fluorescence is applied in the modern epifluorescence microscope. PMID:23931503

Gram-negative meningitis ... Acute bacterial meningitis can be caused by Gram-negative bacteria. Meningococcal and H. influenzae meningitis are caused by Gram-negative bacteria and are covered in detail in other articles. This article ...

Quantum transport through devices coupled to electron reservoirs can be described in terms of the full counting statistics (FCS) of charge transfer. Transport observables, such as conductance and shot-noise power are just cumulants of FCS and can be obtained from the sample's average density of transmission eigenvalues, which in turn can be obtained from a finite element representation of the saddle-point equation of the Keldysh (or supersymmetric) nonlinear sigma model, known as quantum circuit theory. Normal universal metallic behavior in the semiclassical regime is controlled by the presence of a Fabry-Pérot singularity in the average density of transmission eigenvalues. We present general conditions for the suppression of Fabry-Pérot modes in the semiclassical regime in a sample of arbitrary shape, a disordered conductor or a network of ballistic quantum dots, which leads to an anomalous metallic phase. Through a double-scaling limit, we derive a scaling equation for anomalous metallic transport, in the form of a nonlinear differential equation, which generalizes the ballistic-diffusive scaling equation of a normal metal. The two-parameter stationary solution of our scaling equation generalizes Dorokhov's universal single-parameter distribution of transmission eigenvalues. We provide a simple interpretation of the stationary solution using a thermodynamic analogy with a spin-glass system. As an application, we consider a system formed by a diffusive wire coupled via a barrier to normal-superconductor reservoirs. We observe anomalous reflectionless tunneling, when all perfectly transmitting channels are suppressed, which cannot be explained by the usual mechanism of disorder-induced opening of tunneling channels.

The quantum anomalous Hall effect is defined as a quantized Hall effect realized in a system without an external magnetic field. The quantum anomalous Hall effect is a novel manifestation of topological structure in many-electron systems and may have potential applications in future electronic devices. In recent years, the quantum anomalous Hall effect was proposed theoretically and realized experimentally. In this review article, we provide a systematic overview of the theoretical and experimental developments in this field.

A photometric analysis of Voyager 2 images of a broad, 'anomalous scattering region' (ASR) on Triton shows its material to differ from the average Triton regolith in being only weakly backward scattering at all Voyager 2 camera wavelengths; the ASR also displays distinctive phase-dependent green/violet color ratios and clear-filter albedo. These characteristics are used to map the global distribution of the ASR areas for which photometric coverage is incomplete. The ASR may form an almost continuous band of material that runs parallel to the Triton equator, characterized by the presence of a transparent and optically thin, seasonally-controlled veneer of well-annealed solid N2.

The ferromagnetic kagome lattice is theoretically known to possess topological band structures. We have synthesized large single crystals of a kagome ferromagnet Fe3Sn2 which orders ferromagnetically well above room temperature. We have studied the electrical and magnetic properties of these crystals over a broad temperature and magnetic field range. Both the scaling relation of anomalous Hall effect and anisotropic magnetic susceptibility show that the ferromagnetism of Fe3Sn2 is unconventional. We discuss these results in the context of magnetism in kagome systems and relevance to the predicted topological properties in this class of compounds. This research is supported by DMR-1231319.

In recent years the spatio-temporal intermittency of precipitation fields has often been quantified in terms of scaling and/or multifractal behaviour. In this work we anal- yse the spatial scaling properties of precipitation intensity fields measured during the GATE radar experiment, and compare the results with those obtained from surrogate data generated by nonlinearly filtered, linear stochastic processes and from random shuffling of the original data. The results of the study suggest a spurious nature of the spatial multifractal behaviour of the GATE fields and indicate that claims of multifrac- tality and anomalous scaling in rainfall may have to be reconsidered.

GGADT uses anomalous diffraction theory (ADT) to compute the differential scattering cross section (or the total cross sections as a function of energy) for a specified grain of arbitrary geometry (natively supports spheres, ellipsoids, and clusters of spherical monomers). It is written in Fortran 95. ADT is valid when the grain is large compared to the wavelength of incident light. GGADT can calculate either the integrated cross sections (absorption, scattering, extinction) as a function of energy, or it can calculate the differential scattering cross section as a function of scattering angle.

Full-wave electromagnetic scattering theory and Maxwell stress tensor integration techniques have been established to study the optical force on the radially anisotropic nanowires. The optical forces on the isotropic nanowires are dependent on the size of the nanowire and the wave vector in the media with the Rayleigh's law. However, the optical forces on the anisotropic nanowires have the anomalous behaviors under non-Rayleigh vanishing condition and non-Rayleigh diverging condition. Therefore, the optical forces on the anisotropic nanowires may be enhanced or reduced by tuning the anisotropic parameters. These results may promote the potential applications in the field of nanotechnology.

Theory based transport simulations of DIII-D, JET, ITER are compared to experimental data using a combination of anamolous transport models. The Multiple-mode Transport Model is calibrated to a give set of L-mode and H-mode discharges with an emphasis on testing the adequacy of anomalous flux contributions from drift/{eta}{sub i} and resistive ballooning mode theories. A survey of possible additions and/or alternatives to the model from recent theories on neoclassical MHD effects, hot ion modes, circulating electron modes, and high-m tearing modes is also included.

Theory based transport simulations of DIII-D, JET, ITER are compared to experimental data using a combination of anamolous transport models. The Multiple-mode Transport Model is calibrated to a give set of L-mode and H-mode discharges with an emphasis on testing the adequacy of anomalous flux contributions from drift/[eta][sub i] and resistive ballooning mode theories. A survey of possible additions and/or alternatives to the model from recent theories on neoclassical MHD effects, hot ion modes, circulating electron modes, and high-m tearing modes is also included.

Crawford et al. (1979) reported that HR 4453 has an anomalously large UV flux in the 1350-1600 A band. This paper reports results of the UV spectrophotometry of HR 4453 obtained with the Copernicus satellite. Portions of the spectrum from 1120 to 2660 A were scanned, but no stellar signal was detected in any wavelength interval. This result is consistent with both components of the binary being normal A2A stars. UV variability or a source other than HR 4453 must be invoked to explain the observations of Crawford et al.

The origin of muonium defect centers in semi-insulating GaAs has been studied using newly developed μSR techniques employing alternating electric fields. This technique prevents the accumulation of near-surface charges which may screen the external field. The screening effect was tested at ISIS by the measurements of the current induced by muon beam. Suppression of anomalous muonium signal with electric field suggests that muonium formation proceeds via transport of excess electrons from the ionization track to the muons.

A model is proposed to explain the behavior of the gross energy confinement time in ohmically heated tokamak plasmas. The analysis takes into account the effect of the anomalous thermal conductivity due to small scale turbulence and of the macroscopic MHD behavior, which provides some constraints on the temperature profile. Results indicate that the thermal conductivity associated with the dissipative trapped-electron mode and with the ion temperature gradient (eta/sub i/) mode can account, respectively, for the Neo-Alcator scaling and the saturation of the energy confinement time with density. Comparisons with experimental results show reasonable agreement. 32 refs., 12 figs.

Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) microscopy is widely used to study protein interactions in living cells. Typically, spectral variants of the Green Fluorescent Protein (FPs) are incorporated into proteins expressed in cells, and FRET between donor and acceptor FPs is assayed. As appreciable FRET occurs only when donors and acceptors are within 10 nm of each other, the presence of FRET can be indicative of aggregation that may denote association of interacting species. By monitoring the excited-state (fluorescence) decay of the donor in the presence and absence of acceptors, dual-component decay analysis has been used to reveal the fraction of donors that are FRET positive (i.e., in aggregates)._However, control experiments using constructs containing both a donor and an acceptor FP on the same protein repeatedly indicate that a large fraction of these donors are FRET negative, thus rendering the interpretation of dual-component analysis for aggregates between separately donor-containing and acceptor-containing proteins problematic. Using Monte-Carlo simulations and analytical expressions, two possible sources for such anomalous behavior are explored: 1) conformational heterogeneity of the proteins, such that variations in the distance separating donor and acceptor FPs and/or their relative orientations persist on time-scales long in comparison with the excited-state lifetime, and 2) FP dark states. PMID:23152925

Poly(ethylene oxide) - poly(propylene oxide) - poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO-PPO-PEO) block copolymers, commercially known as Pluronics, are a unique family of amphiphilic triblock polymers, which self-assemble into micelles in aqueous solution. These copolymers have shown promise in therapeutic, biomedical, cosmetic, and nanotech applications. As-received samples of Pluronics contain low molecular weight impurities (introduced during the manufacturing and processing), that are ignored in most applications. It has been observed, however, that in semi-dilute aqueous solutions, at concentrations above 1 wt%, the temperature dependent micellization behavior of the Pluronics is altered. Anomalous behavior includes a shift of the critical micellization temperature and formation of large aggregates at intermediate temperatures before stable sized micelles form. We attribute this behavior to the low molecular weight impurities that are inherent to the Pluronics which interfere with the micellization process. Through the use of Dynamic Light Scattering and HPLC, we compared the anomalous behavior of different Pluronics of different impurity levels to their purified counterparts.

Motivated by the overwhelming evidence some type of quantum criticality underlies the power-law for the optical conductivity and T-linear resistivity in the cuprates, we demonstrate here how a scale-invariant or unparticle sector can lead to a unifying description of the observed scaling forms. We adopt the continuous mass formalism or multi band (flavor) formalism of the unparticle sector by letting various microscopic parameters be mass-dependent. In particular, we show that an effective mass that varies with the flavor index as well as a running band edge and lifetime capture the AC and DC transport phenomenology of the cuprates. A key consequence of the running mass is that the effective dynamical exponent can differ from the underlying bare critical exponent, thereby providing a mechanism for realizing the fractional values of the dynamical exponent required in a previous analysis [1]. We also predict that regardless of the bare dynamical exponent, z, a non-zero anomalous dimension for the current is required. Physically, the anomalous dimension arises because the charge depends on the flavor, mass or energy. The equivalent phenomenon in a d + 1 gravitational construction is the running of the charge along the radial direction. The nature of the superconducting instability in the presence of scale invariant stuff shows that the transition temperature is not necessarily a monotonic function of the pairing interaction.

Limits on the anomalous WWγ and WWZ couplings are presented from a simultaneous fit to the data samples of three gauge boson pair final states in pp¯ collisions at s=1.8 TeV: Wγ production with the W boson decaying to eν or μν, W boson pair production with both of the W bosons decaying to eν or μν, and WW or WZ production with one W boson decaying to eν and the other W boson or the Z boson decaying to two jets. Assuming identical WWγ and WWZ couplings, 95% C.L. limits on the anomalous couplings of -0.30

The anatomy of the coronary circulation is well described with incidence of congenital anomalies of approximately 0.3% to 1.0%. Although often incidental, 20% are life-threatening. A 25-year-old woman with syncopal episodes collapsed following a 10-km run. Coronary anatomy evaluation showed an anomalous left main coronary artery originating from the right sinus of valsalva and following a course between the aorta and the pulmonary outflow tract. Percutaneous coronary intervention was followed by eventual surgical revascularization. Abnormal course of coronary arteries plays a role in the pathogenesis of sudden death on exertion. Origin of the left main coronary from the right sinus of valsalva is a rare congenital anomaly. The expansion of the roots of the aorta and pulmonary trunk with exertion lead to compression of the coronary artery and syncope. Our patient raises awareness of a potentially fatal coronary artery path. Intraoperative identification of anomalous coronaries by utilizing intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography was critical. PMID:26359348

We consider the case of several scalar fields, charged under a number of U(1) factors, acquiring vacuum expectation values due to anomalous U(1). We demonstrate how to make redefinitions at the superfield level in order to account for tree-level exchange of vector supermultiplets in the effective supergravity theory of the light fields in the supersymmetric vacuum phase. Our approach builds up on previous results that we obtained in a more elementary case. We find that the modular weights of light fields are typically shifted from their original values, allowing an interpretation in terms of the preservation of modular invariance in the effective theory. We address various subtleties in defining unitary gauge that are associated with the noncanonical Kahler potential of modular invariant supergravity, the vacuum degeneracy, and the role of the dilaton field. We discuss the effective superpotential for the light fields and note how proton decay operators may be obtained when the heavy fields are integrated out of the theory at the tree-level. We also address how our formalism may be extended to describe the generalized Green-Schwarz mechanism for multiple anomalous U(1)'s that occur in four-dimensional Type I and Type IIB string constructions.

In this paper, we study the structure of anomalous atmospheric hydrologic processes associated with El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) using re-analysis data obtained from the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) Data Assimilation Office (DAO) and outputs from GEOS climate model simulations. Our results show a very pronounced tropospheric warming over the equatorial central Pacific, with a double maxima located in 15{degrees}N and 15{degrees}/S, symmetric about the equator. This anomaly is in agreement with those found in earlier studies based on satellite estimates and is consistent with the predictions of Rossby wave dynamics. Most interestingly, we find a strong stratospheric temperature signal, which is tightly coupled to, but of opposite sign to the tropospheric anomaly. This temperature anomaly pattern is validated by the GCM simulations with respect to anomalous ENSO sea surface temperature (SST) forcing. The role of interaction between radiation and hydrologic cycle in producing and maintaining the ENSO anomalies is also investigated. 8 refs., 4 figs.

In this report we show for the first time that neutron anomalous dispersion can be used in a practical manner to determine experimental phases of a protein crystal structure, providing a new tool for structural biologists. The approach is demonstrated through the use of a state-of-the-art monochromatic neutron diffractometer at the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) in combination with crystals of perdeuterated protein that minimise the level of hydrogen incoherent scattering and enhance the visibility of the anomalous signal. The protein used was rubredoxin in which cadmium replaced the iron at the iron-sulphur site. While this study was carried out using a steady-state neutron beam source, the results will be of major interest for capabilities at existing and emerging spallation neutron sources where time-of-flight instruments provide inherent energy discrimination. In particular this capability may be expected to offer unique opportunities to a rapidly developing structural biology community where there is increasing interest in the identification of protonation states, protein/water interactions and protein-ligand interactions – all of which are of central importance to a wide range of fundamental and applied areas in the biosciences. PMID:27511806

In this report we show for the first time that neutron anomalous dispersion can be used in a practical manner to determine experimental phases of a protein crystal structure, providing a new tool for structural biologists. The approach is demonstrated through the use of a state-of-the-art monochromatic neutron diffractometer at the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) in combination with crystals of perdeuterated protein that minimise the level of hydrogen incoherent scattering and enhance the visibility of the anomalous signal. The protein used was rubredoxin in which cadmium replaced the iron at the iron-sulphur site. While this study was carried out using a steady-state neutron beam source, the results will be of major interest for capabilities at existing and emerging spallation neutron sources where time-of-flight instruments provide inherent energy discrimination. In particular this capability may be expected to offer unique opportunities to a rapidly developing structural biology community where there is increasing interest in the identification of protonation states, protein/water interactions and protein-ligand interactions - all of which are of central importance to a wide range of fundamental and applied areas in the biosciences. PMID:27511806

We describe evidence that DNA sequences from vectors used for cloning and sequencing have been incorporated accidentally into eukaryotic entries in the GenBank database. These incorporations were not restricted to one type of vector or to a single mechanism. Many minor instances may have been the result of simple editing errors, but some entries contained large blocks of vector sequence that had been incorporated by contamination or other accidents during cloning. Some cases involved unusual rearrangements and areas of vector distant from the normal insertion sites. Matches to vector were found in 0.23% of 20,000 sequences analyzed in GenBank Release 63. Although the possibility of anomalous sequence incorporation has been recognized since the inception of GenBank and should be easy to avoid, recent evidence suggests that this problem is increasing more quickly than the database itself. The presence of anomalous sequence may have serious consequences for the interpretation and use of database entries, and will have an impact on issues of database management. The incorporated vector fragments described here may also be useful for a crude estimate of the fidelity of sequence information in the database. In alignments with well-defined ends, the matching sequences showed 96.8% identity to vector; when poorer matches with arbitrary limits were included, the aggregate identity to vector sequence was 94.8%. PMID:1614861

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) is responsible for the operation of the NOAA geostationary and polar orbiting satellites. NESDIS provides a wide array of operational meteorological and oceanographic products and services and operates various computer and communication systems on a 24-hour, seven days per week schedule. The Anomaly Reporting System contains a database of anomalous events regarding the operations of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES), communication, or computer systems that have degraded or caused the loss of GOES imagery. Data is currently entered manually via an automated query user interface. There are 21 possible symptoms (e.g., No Data), and 73 possible causes (e.g., Sectorizer - World Weather Building) of an anomalous event. The determination of an event's cause(s) is made by the on-duty computer operator, who enters the event in a paper based daily log, and by the analyst entering the data into the reporting system. The determination of the event's cause(s) impacts both the operational status of these systems, and the performance evaluation of the on-site computer and communication operations contractor.

We report a large negative magnetoresistance in Manganese-substituted Zinc Oxide thin films. This anomalous effect was found to appear in oxygen-deficient films and to increase with the concentration of Manganese. By combining magnetoresistive measurements with magneto-photoluminescence, we demonstrate that the effect can be explained as the result of a magnetically induced transition from hopping to band conduction where the activation energy is caused by the sp-d exchange interaction. PMID:25783664

A fluorescent optical position sensor and method of operation. A small excitation source side-pumps a localized region of fluorescence at an unknown position along a fluorescent waveguide. As the fluorescent light travels down the waveguide, the intensity of fluorescent light decreases due to absorption. By measuring with one (or two) photodetectors the attenuated intensity of fluorescent light emitted from one (or both) ends of the waveguide, the position of the excitation source relative to the waveguide can be determined by comparing the measured light intensity to a calibrated response curve or mathematical model. Alternatively, excitation light can be pumped into an end of the waveguide, which generates an exponentially-decaying continuous source of fluorescent light along the length of the waveguide. The position of a photodetector oriented to view the side of the waveguide can be uniquely determined by measuring the intensity of the fluorescent light emitted radially at that location.

A human-safe fluorescence particle that can be used for fluorescence detection instruments or act as a safe simulant for mimicking the fluorescence properties of microorganisms. The particle comprises a non-biological carrier and natural fluorophores encapsulated in the non-biological carrier. By doping biodegradable-polymer drug delivery microspheres with natural or synthetic fluorophores, the desired fluorescence can be attained or biological organisms can be simulated without the associated risks and logistical difficulties of live microorganisms.

Several existing and planned experiments estimate the energies of ultra-high energy cosmic rays from air showers using the atmospheric nitrogen fluorescence. The nitrogen fluorescence yield from air shower electrons depends on the atmospheric composition. We will discuss the uncertainties in the fluorescence yield form electrons in the real atmosphere and describe a concept for a small balloon payload to measure the atmospheric fluorescence yield as a function of attitude.

A prototype model low level carbon monoxide analyzer was developed using fluorescent cell and negative chopping techniques to achieve a device superior to state of art NDIR (Nondispersive infrared) analyzers in stability and cross-sensitivity to other gaseous species. It is clear that this type of analyzer has that capacity. The prototype…

An experiment was performed in the Space Station Proximity Operations Simulator at the NASA Ames Research Center. Five test subjects were instructed to perform twenty simulated remote docking maneuvers of an orbital maneuvering vehicle (OMV) to the space station in which they were located. The OMV started from an initial range of 304.8 m (1000 ft) on the space station's negative velocity vector. Anomalous out-of-plane thruster firings of various magnitudes (simulating a faulty thruster) occurred at one of five ranges from the target. Initial velocity, range of anomalous burn, and magnitude of anomalous burn were the factors varied. In addition to whether the trial was successful, time and fuel to return to a nominal trajectory, total mission duration, total fuel consumption, and time histories of commanded burns were recorded. Analysis of the results added support to the hypothesis that slow approach velocities are not inherently safer than their more rapid counterparts. Naive subjects were capable of docking successfully at velocities faster than those prescribed by the 0.1 percent rule even when a simulated faulty thruster disturbed the nominal trajectory. Little to no justification for slow approach velocities remains from a human factors standpoint.

A system using the fluorescence bronchoscope has been designed for localization of small, early bronchogenic carcinoma by the fluorescence of previously injected hematoporphyrin derivative. The system included a 200W mercury vapor lamp and primary filter, flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope with special violet-transmitting light conductor, secondary filter, and image intensifier tube. Tests indicated the system could detect a tumor only 100 micron thick at the expected concentration of hematoporphyrin derivative: 1 microgram/gm at 48 to 96 hours following intravenous injection at a dosage of 2.5 mg/kg. Examination of resected specimens (six of lung, one of esophagus) showed positive fluorescence in all cases, with fluorescence visible beyond the region visible under conventional white light examination. Fluorescence bronchoscopy has been performed on four patients thus far. Positive fluorescence was observed in all three cases where the tumor had been known to occur. Positive fluorescence was also observed in the patient with sputum positive for lung cancer, but negative x-ray film findings. However, additional examinations are required to demonstrate the smallest lesion that can be detected in vivo. PMID:446168

The boron carbides are composed of icosahedral units, B12 and B11C1, linked together by strong intericosahedral bonds. With such distributions of icosahedral and intericosahedral compositions, boron carbides, B/sub 1-x/C/sub x/, are single phase over 0.1 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 0.2. The electronic transport properties of the boron carbides were examined within this single-phase region. Results are inconsistent with conventional analyses of both itinerant and hopping transport. Most striking are Seebeck coefficients which are both large and rapidly increasing functions of temperature despite thermally activated dc conductivities. These results manifest the hopping of small bipolaronic holes between carbon-containing icosahedral that are inequivalent in energy and electron-lattice coupling strength. Under hydrostatic pressures up to approx. 25 kbar, the dc conductivities increase with pressure. This anomalous behavior for hopping conduction reflects the distinctive structure and bonding of these materials.

It has been stated that for a short-ranged surface interaction, the probability of a low-energy particle sticking to a surface always vanishes as s approximately k with k-->0 where k=sqrt[E]. Deviations from this so-called universal threshold law are derived using a linear model of particle-surface scattering. The Fredholm theory of integral equations is used to find the global conditions necessary for a convergent solution. The exceptional case of a zero-energy resonance is considered in detail. Anomalous threshold laws, where s approximately k(1+alpha),alpha>0 as k-->0, are shown to arise from a soft gap in the weighted density of states of excitations; alpha is determined by the behavior of the weighted density of states near the binding energy. PMID:14683254

It has been stated that for a short-ranged surface interaction, the probability of a low-energy particle sticking to a surface always vanishes as s˜k with k→0 where k=√(E). Deviations from this so-called universal threshold law are derived using a linear model of particle-surface scattering. The Fredholm theory of integral equations is used to find the global conditions necessary for a convergent solution. The exceptional case of a zero-energy resonance is considered in detail. Anomalous threshold laws, where s˜k1+α,α>0 as k→0, are shown to arise from a soft gap in the weighted density of states of excitations; α is determined by the behavior of the weighted density of states near the binding energy.

It has been stated that for a short-ranged surface interaction, the probability of a low-energy particle sticking to a surface always vanishes as s ˜ k with k→ 0 where k=√E. Deviations from this so-called universal threshold law are derived using a linear model of particle-surface scattering. The Fredholm theory of integral equations is used to find the global conditions necessary for a convergent solution. The exceptional case of a zero-energy resonance is considered in detail. Anomalous threshold laws, where s ˜ k^1+α, α > 0 as k→ 0, are shown to arise from a soft gap in the weighted density of states of excitations; α is determined by the behavior of the weighted density of states near the binding energy.

We present a parameter estimation technique based on performing joint measurements of a weak interaction away from the weak-value-amplification approximation. Two detectors are used to collect full statistics of the correlations between two weakly entangled degrees of freedom. Without discarding of data, the protocol resembles the anomalous amplification of an imaginary-weak-value-like response. The amplification is induced in the difference signal of both detectors allowing robustness to different sources of technical noise, and offering in addition the advantages of balanced signals for precision metrology. All of the Fisher information about the parameter of interest is collected. A tunable phase controls the strength of the amplification response. We experimentally demonstrate the proposed technique by measuring polarization rotations in a linearly polarized laser pulse. We show that in the presence of technical noise the effective sensitivity and precision of a split detector is increased when compared to a conventional continuous-wave balanced detection technique.

Basing on the high frequency (60 GHz) electron spin resonance (ESR) and magnetic susceptibility study of the VOx multiwall nanotubes (VOx-NTs) in the range 4.2-300 K we report the ESR evidence of the presence of the antiferromagnetic V4+ dimers in VOx-NTs and the observation of an anomalous low temperature (T<50 K) growth of the magnetic susceptibility for V4+ quasi-free spins, which obey power law χ(T)~1/Tα with the exponent αapprox0.6. The estimates of the concentrations for various spin species (clusters) indicate that the non-interacting dimers should be an essential element in the VOx-NTs structure. The possibility of the disorder driven quantum critical regime in VOx-NTs is discussed.

Anomalous diffusion processes are usually detected by analyzing the time-dependent mean square displacement of the diffusing particles. The latter evolves asymptotically as W(t) ∼ 2D{sub α}t{sup α}, where D{sub α} is the fractional diffusion constant and 0 < α < 2. In this article we show that both D{sub α} and α can also be extracted from the low-frequency Fourier spectrum of the corresponding velocity autocorrelation function. This offers a simple method for the interpretation of quasielastic neutron scattering spectra from complex (bio)molecular systems, in which subdiffusive transport is frequently encountered. The approach is illustrated and validated by analyzing molecular dynamics simulations of molecular diffusion in a lipid POPC bilayer.

The ear advantages of groups of Down Syndrome and developmentally retarded (NonDown) young adults, and normal youngsters matched for mental age were compared on dichotic listening performance. The paradigm employed strings of single, double, and triple digits presented to each ear under both free and cued recall conditions. The developmentally retarded and normal groups demonstrated the typical right ear advantage (REA), whereas the Down Syndrome group produced a significant left ear advantage (LEA) in four of the six experimental conditions. In addition, for the cued as compared to free recall conditions, all three groups demonstrated relatively better right ear performance. These results indicate anomalous dominance in Down Syndrome young adults which is consistent across varying memory load and attentional demands. Furthermore, these results are not likely due to a maturational lag phenomenon, but more likely related to genetic, biologic, and neurologic, factors as suggested by Geschwind and Galaburda (1985). PMID:2523281

We present an ambitious model of flavor, based on an anomalous U(1)_X gauge symmetry with one flavon, only two right-handed neutrinos and only two mass scales: M_{grav} and m_{3/2}. In particular, there are no new scales introduced for right-handed neutrino masses. The X-charges of the matter fields are such that R-parity is conserved exactly, higher-dimensional operators are sufficiently suppressed to guarantee a proton lifetime in agreement with experiment, and the phenomenology is viable for quarks, charged leptons, as well as neutrinos. In our model one of the three light neutrinos automatically is massless. The price we have to pay for this very successful model are highly fractional X-charges which can likely be improved with less restrictive phenomenological ansatze for mass matrices.

Many-body localization transition is a peculiar dynamical transition between ergodic and non-ergodic phases, which may occur at any temperature and in any dimension. For temperatures below the transition the system is nonergodic and localized, such that conductivity strictly vanishes at the thermodynamic limit, while for temperatures above the transition the system is thermal and conductive. In this talk I will present a comprehensive study of the dynamical properties of the ergodic phase in one and two dimensional generic disordered and interacting systems, conducted using a combination of nonequilibrium diagrammatic techniques and numerically exact methods. I will show that the ergodic phase, which was expected to be diffusive, exhibits anomalous transport regime for nontrivial times and explain how our findings settle with phenomenological theoretical models. NSF-CHE-1644802.

Conference Grant Report July 14, 2015 Submitted to the U. S. Department of Energy Attn: Dr. Sean Finnegan By the University of California, San Diego 9500 Gilman Drive La Jolla, California 92093 On behalf of the 44th Annual Anomalous Absorption Conference 8-13 June 2014, in Estes Park, Colorado Support Requested: $10,100 Amount expended: $3,216.14 Performance Period: 1 March 20 14 to 28 February 20 15 Principal Investigator Dr. Farhat Beg Center for Energy Research University of California, San Diego 9500 Gilman Drive La Jolla, California 92093-0417 858-822-1266 (telephone) 858-534-4543 (fax) fbeg@ucsd.edu Administrative Point of Contact: Brandi Pate, 858-534-0851, blpate®ucsd.edu I. Background The forty-fourth Anomalous Absorption Conference was held in Estes Park, Colorado from June 5-8, 2014 (aac2014.ucsd.edu). The first Anomalous Absorption Conference was held in 1971 to assemble experts in the poorly understood area of laser-plasma absorption. The goal of that conference was to address the anomalously large laser absorption seen in plasma experiments with respect to the laser absorption predicted by linear plasma theory. Great progress in this research area has been made in the decades since that first meeting, due in part to the scientific interactions that have occurred annually at this conference. Specifically, this includes the development of nonlinear laser-plasma theory and the simulation of laser interactions with plasmas. Each summer since that first meeting, this week-long conference has been held at unique locations in North America as a scientific forum for intense scientific exchanges relevant to the interaction of laser radiation with plasmas. Responsibility for organizing the conference has traditional rotated each year between the major Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) laboratories and universities including LANL, LLNL, LLE, UCLA UC Davis and NRL. As the conference has matured over the past four decades, its technical footprint has expanded

This paper is devoted to the derivation of a macroscopic fractional diffusion equation describing heat transport in an anharmonic chain. More precisely, we study here the so-called FPU- chain, which is a very simple model for a one-dimensional crystal in which atoms are coupled to their nearest neighbors by a harmonic potential, weakly perturbed by a quartic potential. The starting point of our mathematical analysis is a kinetic equation: Lattice vibrations, responsible for heat transport, are modeled by an interacting gas of phonons whose evolution is described by the Boltzmann phonon equation. Our main result is the rigorous derivation of an anomalous diffusion equation starting from the linearized Boltzmann phonon equation.

The reported investigation provides important new data for the heavy noble gases, especially Kr, in the Allende meteorite. The data are used to criticize the original model of Lewis et al. (1975) based on the noble gas data of these researchers. The conclusions reached in the investigation support alternative models which have been mainly based on Xe data by Lewis et al. (1975, 1977). Because of the relatively high noble gas abundances in the separates studied, disturbance from nuclear effects occurring in situ such as spallation and neutron capture is insignificant, offering an opportunity to study primordial Ar, Kr, and Xe. The isotopic and abundance data obtained from the samples largely confirm the noble gas results of Lewis et al. (1975, 1977) where isotopic correlations agree with the correlations of the considered samples. It is found that both Kr and Xe data are consistent with a two component mixture of 'ordinary' as well as 'anomalous' planetary gases.

The observed hierarchy of quark and lepton masses can be parametrized by nonrenormalizable operators with dimensions determined by an anomalous Abelian family symmetry, a gauge extension to the minimal supersymmetric standard model. Such an Abelian symmetry is generic to compactified superstring theories, with its anomalies compensated by the Green-Schwarz mechanism. If we assume these two symmetries to be the same, we find the electroweak mixing angle to be sin {sup 2}{theta}{sub {omega}} = 3/8 at the string scale, just by setting the ratio of the product of down quark to charged lepton masses equal to one at the string scale. This assumes no GUT structure. The generality of the result suggests a superstring origin for the standard model. We generalize our analysis to massive neutrinos, and mixings in the lepton sector.

We examine theoretically the interplay between chiral photons and chiral electrons in Weyl semimetals. Owing to its monopole nature, a three-dimensional Weyl node is topologically-robust against a circularly polarized light. A driven Weyl system exhibits node shifts in the momentum space, in sharp contrast to the gap opening in a driven two-dimensional Dirac system. We show that the node shift leads to a change of the Chern vector which gives arise to a net photoinduced anomalous Hall conductivity, in the plane perpendicular to the light propagation. We shall describe the basic idea behind this generic photoinduced Hall effect, illustrate it with a concrete microscope model, and estimate its feasibility based on current optical experimental techniques.

Classical (grounded wire) rocket-and-wire triggered lightning flashes whose leaders do not traverse the path of the wire remnants are sometimes referred to as 'anomalous'. We present high-speed video images captured at 10 kilo-frames per second (kfps), with supporting data, to characterize an 'anomalous' rocket-triggered lightning flash that occurred on 15 May 2012 at the International Center for Lightning Research and Testing (ICLRT) in north-central Florida. The event begins as a classical rocket-triggered lightning flash with an upward positive leader (UPL) initiating from the tip of the wire at a height of about 280 m above ground level. The top 259 m of the trailing wire explodes 2.7 s after the rocket exits the launch tube, while the bottom 17 m of the wire does not explode (does not become luminous). Approximately 1.4 ms after wire explosion, a stepped leader initiates a few meters above the top of the wire remnants and propagates downward, attaching to the top of a grounded utility pole 2.1 ms after initiation and 117 m southwest of the launching facility. Beginning 600 μs prior to this sustained stepped leader development, attempted stepped leaders (luminous steps emanating from the UPL channel above the wire remnants) are observed in three locations: 20 m and 5 m above the top of the wire remnants and at the top of the wire remnants. Correlated electric field derivative (dE/dt), channel-base current, and high-speed video captured at 300 kfps reveal an electrical discharge of peak current 365 A initiating from about 17 m above the launching facility, apparently the top of the unexploded triggering wire, when the stepped leader is no more than 60 m above ground level. There are significant differences between the 'anomalous' triggered lightning flash described here and those observed in New Mexico and in France in the late 1970s and early 1980s: First, the time duration between explosion of our wire and the sustained stepped leader development a few meters

We present a parameter estimation technique based on performing joint measurements of a weak interaction away from the weak-value-amplification approximation. Two detectors are used to collect full statistics of the correlations between two weakly entangled degrees of freedom. Without discarding of data, the protocol resembles the anomalous amplification of an imaginary-weak-value-like response. The amplification is induced in the difference signal of both detectors allowing robustness to different sources of technical noise, and offering in addition the advantages of balanced signals for precision metrology. All of the Fisher information about the parameter of interest is collected. A tunable phase controls the strength of the amplification response. We experimentally demonstrate the proposed technique by measuring polarization rotations in a linearly polarized laser pulse. We show that in the presence of technical noise the effective sensitivity and precision of a split detector is increased when compared to a conventional continuous-wave balanced detection technique. PMID:27015468

A bar rotating in a pressure-supported halo generally loses angular momentum and slows down due to dynamical friction. Valenzuela & Klypin report a counter-example of a bar that rotates in a dense halo with little friction for several Gyr, and argue that their result invalidates the claim by Debattista & Sellwood that fast bars in real galaxies require a low halo density. We show that it is possible for friction to cease for a while should the pattern speed of the bar fluctuate upward. The reduced friction is due to an anomalous gradient in the phase-space density of particles at the principal resonance created by the earlier evolution. The result obtained by Valenzuela & Klypin is probably an artifact of their adaptive mesh refinement method, but anyway could not persist in a real galaxy. The conclusion by Debattista & Sellwood still stands.

The close coupling between the spin and momentum degrees of freedom in topological insulators (TIs) presents the opportunity for the control of one to manipulate the other. The momentum can, for example, be confined on a curved surface and the spin influenced by applying a magnetic field. In this work, we study the surface states of a cylindrical TI magnetized in the x direction perpendicular to the cylindrical axis lying along the z direction. We show that a large magnetization leads to an upwards bending of the energy bands at small |k{sub z}|. The bending leads to an anomalous magnetoresistance where the transmission between two cylinders magnetized in opposite directions is higher than when the cylinders are magnetized at intermediate angles with respect to each other.

An astronaut's helmet is an invariant, rigid image element that is well suited for identification and tracking using current machine vision technology. Future space exploration will benefit from the development of astronaut detection software for search and rescue missions based on EVA helmet identification. However, helmets are solid white, except for metal brackets to attach accessories such as supplementary lights. We compared the performance of a widely used machine vision pipeline on a standard-issue NASA helmet with and without affixed experimental feature-rich patterns. Performance on the patterned helmet was far more robust. We found that four different feature-rich patterns are sufficient to identify a helmet and determine orientation as it is rotated about the yaw, pitch, and roll axes. During helmet rotation the field of view changes to frames containing parts of two or more feature-rich patterns. We took reference images in these locations to fill in detection gaps. These multiple feature-rich patterns references added substantial benefit to detection, however, they generated the majority of the anomalous cases. In these few instances, our algorithm keys in on one feature-rich pattern of the multiple feature-rich pattern reference and makes an incorrect prediction of the location of the other feature-rich patterns. We describe and make recommendations on ways to mitigate anomalous cases in which detection of one or more feature-rich patterns fails. While the number of cases is only a small percentage of the tested helmet orientations, they illustrate important design considerations for future spacesuits. In addition to our four successful feature-rich patterns, we present unsuccessful patterns and discuss the cause of their poor performance from a machine vision perspective. Future helmets designed with these considerations will enable automated astronaut detection and thereby enhance mission operations and extraterrestrial search and rescue.

With the increasing availability and accessibility of high resolution powder diffractometers at many synchrotron radiation sources throughout the world, there is rapidly-growing interest in the exploitation of anomalous dispersion techniques for structural studies of polycrystalline materials. In conjunction with the Rietveld profile method for structure refinement, such studies are especially useful for the determination of the site distributions of two or more atoms which are near neighbors in the periodic table, or atoms which are distributed among partially occupied sites. Additionally, it is possible to (1) determine the mean-square displacements associated with different kinds of atoms distributed over a single set of sites, (2) distinguish between different oxidation states and coordination geometries of a particular atom in a compound and (3) to determine f` for a wide range of atomic species as a function of energy in the vicinity of an absorption edge. Experimental methods for making anomalous dispersion measurements are described in some detail, including data collection strategies, data analysis and correlation problems, possible systematic errors, and the accuracy of the results. Recent work in the field is reviewed, including cation site-distribution studies (e.g. doped high {Tc} superconductors, ternary alloys, FeCo{sub 2}(PO{sub 4}){sub 3}, FeNi{sub 2}BO{sub 5}), oxidation-state contrast (e.g. YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 6+x}, Eu{sub 3}O{sub 4}, GaCl{sub 2}, Fe{sub 2}PO{sub 5}), and the effect of coordination geometry (e.g. Y{sub 3}Ga{sub 5}O{sub l2}).

With the increasing availability and accessibility of high resolution powder diffractometers at many synchrotron radiation sources throughout the world, there is rapidly-growing interest in the exploitation of anomalous dispersion techniques for structural studies of polycrystalline materials. In conjunction with the Rietveld profile method for structure refinement, such studies are especially useful for the determination of the site distributions of two or more atoms which are near neighbors in the periodic table, or atoms which are distributed among partially occupied sites. Additionally, it is possible to (1) determine the mean-square displacements associated with different kinds of atoms distributed over a single set of sites, (2) distinguish between different oxidation states and coordination geometries of a particular atom in a compound and (3) to determine f' for a wide range of atomic species as a function of energy in the vicinity of an absorption edge. Experimental methods for making anomalous dispersion measurements are described in some detail, including data collection strategies, data analysis and correlation problems, possible systematic errors, and the accuracy of the results. Recent work in the field is reviewed, including cation site-distribution studies (e.g. doped high [Tc] superconductors, ternary alloys, FeCo[sub 2](PO[sub 4])[sub 3], FeNi[sub 2]BO[sub 5]), oxidation-state contrast (e.g. YBa[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]O[sub 6+x], Eu[sub 3]O[sub 4], GaCl[sub 2], Fe[sub 2]PO[sub 5]), and the effect of coordination geometry (e.g. Y[sub 3]Ga[sub 5]O[sub l2]).

We studied photoemission of monosaccharides and disaccharides using laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy. A 532- nm, 10 mW, laser was used to excite the samples and back-scattering signals were collected by a spectrometer. We found that most sugars show weak fluorescence in solid phase but do not fluoresce when dissolved in water solutions. The emission spectra show similar peak intensity at 590 nm, but they are different in emission intensities. We suggest that the fluorescence spectra may be used to differentiate sugar type, even though the origin of the fluorescence is unclear and needed further study.

By means of mitochondrial 12S rRNA sequencing of putative "yeti", "bigfoot", and other "anomalous primate" hair samples, a recent study concluded that two samples, presented as from the Himalayas, do not belong to an "anomalous primate", but to an unknown, anomalous type of ursid. That is, that they match 12S rRNA sequences of a fossil Polar Bear (Ursusmaritimus), but neither of modern Polar Bears, nor of Brown Bears (Ursusarctos), the closest relative of Polar Bears, and one that occurs today in the Himalayas. We have undertaken direct comparison of sequences; replication of the original comparative study; inference of phylogenetic relationships of the two samples with respect to those from all extant species of Ursidae (except for the Giant Panda, Ailuropodamelanoleuca) and two extinct Pleistocene species; and application of a non-tree-based population aggregation approach for species diagnosis and identification. Our results demonstrate that the very short fragment of the 12S rRNA gene sequenced by Sykes et al. is not sufficiently informative to support the hypotheses provided by these authors with respect to the taxonomic identity of the individuals from which these sequences were obtained. We have concluded that there is no reason to believe that the two samples came from anything other than Brown Bears. These analyses afforded an opportunity to test the monophyly of morphologically defined species and to comment on both their phylogenetic relationships and future efforts necessary to advance our understanding of ursid systematics. PMID:25829853

In this brief review, we discuss some of the properties of atomic and molecular negative ions and their excited states. Experiments involving photon reactions with negative ions and polar dissociation are summarized. 116 references, 14 figures.

A negative ion generator is formed from a magnetically insulated transmission line having a coating of graphite on the cathode for producing negative ions and a plurality of apertures on the opposed anode for the release of negative ions. Magnetic insulation keeps electrons from flowing from the cathode to the anode. A transverse magnetic field removes electrons which do escape through the apertures from the trajectory of the negative ions. 8 figs.

A negative ion generator is formed from a magnetically insulated transmission line having a coating of graphite on the cathode for producing negative ions and a plurality of apertures on the opposed anode for the release of negative ions. Magnetic insulation keeps electrons from flowing from the cathode to the anode. A transverse magnetic field removes electrons which do escape through the apertures from the trajectory of the negative ions.

Treating negative symptoms of schizophrenia is a major issue and a challenge for the functional and social prognosis of the disease, to which they are closely linked. First- and second-generation antipsychotics allow a reduction of all negative symptoms. The hope of acting directly on primary negative symptoms with any antipsychotic is not supported by the literature. However, the effectiveness of first- and second-generation antipsychotics is demonstrated on secondary negative symptoms. PMID:26776390

"Smart fluorophores", such as reversibly switchable fluorescent proteins, are crucial for advanced fluorescence imaging. However, only a limited number of such labels is available, and many display reduced biological performance compared to more classical variants. We present the development of robustly photoswitchable variants of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP), named rsGreens, that display up to 30-fold higher fluorescence in E. coli colonies grown at 37 °C and more than 4-fold higher fluorescence when expressed in HEK293T cells compared to their ancestor protein rsEGFP. This enhancement is not due to an intrinsic increase in the fluorescence brightness of the probes, but rather due to enhanced expression levels that allow many more probe molecules to be functional at any given time. We developed rsGreens displaying a range of photoswitching kinetics and show how these can be used for multimodal diffraction-unlimited fluorescence imaging such as pcSOFI and RESOLFT, achieving a spatial resolution of ∼70 nm. By determining the first ever crystal structures of a negative reversibly switchable FP derived from Aequorea victoria in both the "on"- and "off"-conformation we were able to confirm the presence of a cis-trans isomerization and provide further insights into the mechanisms underlying the photochromism. Our work demonstrates that genetically encoded "smart fluorophores" can be readily optimized for biological performance and provides a practical strategy for developing maturation- and stability-enhanced photochromic fluorescent proteins. PMID:26308583

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a potent anti-tumoral agent widely used for cancer therapy. Despite numerous studies, the fluorescence properties of DOX, usually exploited for the characterization of the interaction with biological media, have until now led to controversial interpretations, mainly due to self-association of the drug in aqueous solution. We present here the first femtosecond study of DOX based on measurements with the fluorescence up-conversion technique in combination with time-correlated single photon counting using the same laser source. We provide evidence that fluorescence signals of DOX stem from monomers and dimers. DOX dimerization induces a dramatic decrease in the fluorescence quantum yield from 3.9 × 10(-2) to 10(-5) associated with the red shift of the fluorescence spectrum by ~25 nm. While the fluorescence lifetime of the monomer is 1 ns, the dimer fluorescence is found to decay with a lifetime of about 2 ps. In contrast to monomers, the fluorescence anisotropy of dimers is found to be negative. These experimental observations are consistent with an ultrafast internal conversion (<200 fs) between two exciton states, possibly followed by a charge separation process. PMID:23340955

This paper undertakes a detailed analysis of sentential negation in the English language with Chomsky's Government-Binding theory of Transformational Grammar as theoretical model. It distinguishes between constituent and sentential negation in English. The essay identifies the exact position of Negation phrase in an English clause structure. It…

The size evolution of platinum nanoparticles formed on a SiO2/Si(111) substrate as a function of the level of surface coverage with deposited clusters has been investigated. The anisotropic shapes of sub-nanometer-size nanoparticles are changed to isotropic on the amorphous substrate as their sizes increased. Using anomalous grazing incidence small-angle x-ray scattering (AGISAXS), the scattering from nanoparticles on the surface of a substrate is well separated from that of surface roughness and fluorescence. We show that AGISAXS is a very effective method to subtract the background and can provide unbiased information about particle sizes of less than 1 nm. PMID:16229604

Introduction: Presolar grains such as diamond, SiC, and graphite have been reported to have isotopically anomalous nitrogen [1-3]. Because of their stability to chemical treatment, they are relatively easily concentrated in laboratories. There are probably other, less-durable presolar materials in primitive meteorites. We have therefore been searching for such presolar grains in UOCs, using the nitrogen isotope ratio as an indicator. In fact, isotopically heavy nitrogen in Yamato 74191 (LL3.7) and light nitrogen in ALHA 77214 (L3.4), which are not those of diamond, SiC, or graphite, have been reported [4]. Here, we report some other nitrogen isotope anomalies, especially light nitrogen found in many UOCs. Results and Discussion: Nitrogen and argon extracted by the stepped combustion method from 200 degrees C to 1200 degrees C every 100 degrees C are measured with a static QMS. ALHA 77278 (LL3.7), LEW 86018 (L3.1), and ALHA 77216 (H3.7/3.9) have isotopically heavy nitrogen. There is a possibility that these chondrites have solar nitrogen, because ALHA 77216 has a large amount of solar neon and ALHA 77278 has a small amount of solar neon. ALHA 78119 (L3.5) shows a similar degassing profile to ALHA 77214 [4]. Therefore, it may have the same carriers of anomalous nitrogen as ALHA 77214. Since Chainpur also has a similar degassing profile to ALHA 77214, although its light nitrogen abundance is smaller, it has probably the same nitrogen carrier. ALHA 78084 (H4), Grady (H3.7), and Yamato 74024 (L3.8) have very small amounts of nitrogen, probably because of metamorphic loss, and their delta ^15N values are nearly 0 per mil. ALHA 81251 (H3.2/3.4) degasses isotopically light nitrogen and primordial ^36Ar around 1100 degrees C (see Fig. 1), and delta ^15N goes down to -60 per mil at this temperature. Nearly the same degassing profiles have been found in ALH 83007 (L3.2/3.5), ALH 83010 (L3.3), EET 83399 (L3.3), LEW 86022 (L3.2), Yamato 791500, Yamato 82038, and Mezo Madaras

We analyze the potential of the Next Linear e+e- Collider to study anomalous quartic vector-boson interactions through the processes e+e--->W+W-Z and ZZZ. In the framework of SU(2)L⊗U(1)Y chiral Lagrangians, we examine all effective operators of order p4 that lead to four-gauge-boson interactions but do not induce anomalous trilinear vertices. In our analysis, we take into account the decay of the vector bosons to fermions and evaluate the efficiency in their reconstruction. We obtain the bounds that can be placed on the anomalous quartic interactions and we study the strategies to distinguish the possible couplings.

We show that for an anomalous fluid carrying dissipationless chiral magnetic and/or vortical currents there is a frame in which a stationary obstacle experiences no drag, but energy and charge currents do not vanish, resembling superfluidity. However, unlike ordinary superfluid flow, the anomalous chiral currents can transport entropy in this frame. We show that the second law of thermodynamics completely determines the amounts of these anomalous nondissipative currents in the "no-drag frame" as polynomials in temperature and chemical potential with known anomaly coefficients. These general results are illustrated and confirmed by a calculation in the chiral kinetic theory and in the quark-gluon plasma at high temperature.

The widely held view that the maximum efficiency of a photosynthetic pigment system is given by the Carnot cycle expression (1-T/Tr) for energy transfer from a hot bath (radiation at temperature Tr) to a cold bath (pigment system at temperature T) is critically examined and demonstrated to be inaccurate when the entropy changes associated with the microscopic process of photon absorption and photochemistry at the level of single photosystems are considered. This is because entropy losses due to excited state generation and relaxation are extremely small (DeltaS < T/Tr) and are essentially associated with the absorption-fluorescence Stokes shift. Total entropy changes associated with primary photochemistry for single photosystems are shown to depend critically on the thermodynamic efficiency of the process. This principle is applied to the case of primary photochemistry of the isolated core of higher plant photosystem I and photosystem II, which are demonstrated to have maximal thermodynamic efficiencies of xi > 0.98 and xi > 0.92 respectively, and which, in principle, function with negative entropy production. It is demonstrated that for the case of xi > (1-T/Tr) entropy production is always negative and only becomes positive when xi < (1-T/Tr). PMID:16139784

Fluorescence microscopy of live cells has become an integral part of modern cell biology. Fluorescent protein tags, live cell dyes, and other methods to fluorescently label proteins of interest provide a range of tools to investigate virtually any cellular process under the microscope. The two main experimental challenges in collecting meaningful live cell microscopy data are to minimize photodamage while retaining a useful signal-to-noise ratio, and to provide a suitable environment for cells or tissues to replicate physiological cell dynamics. This chapter aims to give a general overview on microscope design choices critical for fluorescence live cell imaging that apply to most fluorescence microscopy modalities, and on environmental control with a focus on mammalian tissue culture cells. In addition, we provide guidance on how to design and evaluate fluorescent protein constructs by spinning disk confocal microscopy. PMID:24974023

A fluorescent fiber (13) having a doped core (16) is pumped (11) by light (18) of a relatively short wavelength to produce fluorescence at a longer wavelength that is detected by detector (24). The level of fluorescence is monitored (26) and evaluated to provide information as to the excitation of the fiber (13) or the environment thereof. In particular, the level of intensity of the detected fluorescence may be used to measure the intensity of a light beam (18) passing axially through an optical fiber system (12) (FIG. 1 ), or the intensity of a light beam (46) passing radially through a fluorescent fiber (13) (FIG. 2 ), or the level of a fluid (32) in a tank (31) (FIG. 3 ), or a scintillation event (37) in a fluorescent fiber (13) pumped to produce amplification of the scintillation event (FIG. 4 ).

A fluorescent fiber (13) having a doped core (16) is pumped (11) by light (18) of a relatively short wavelength to produce fluorescence at a longer wavelength that is detected by detector (24). The level of fluorescence is monitored (26) and evaluated to provide information as to the excitation of the fiber (13) or the environment thereof. In particular, the level of intensity of the detected fluorescence may be used to measure the intensity of a light beam (18) passing axially through an optical fiber system (12) (FIG. 1 ), or the intensity of a light beam (46) passing radially through a fluorescent fiber (13) (FIG. 2 ), or the level of a fluid (32) in a tank (31) (FIG. 3 ), or a scintillation event (37) in a fluorescent fiber (13) pumped to produce amplification of the scintillation event (FIG. 4 ).

The counterintuitive phenomenon of negative linear compressibility (NLC) is a highly desirable but rare property exploitable in the development of artificial muscles, actuators and next-generation pressure sensors. In all cases, material performance is directly related to the magnitude of intrinsic NLC response. Here we show the molecular framework material zinc(II) dicyanoaurate(I), Zn[Au(CN)2]2, exhibits the most extreme and persistent NLC behaviour yet reported: under increasing hydrostatic pressure its crystal structure expands in one direction at a rate that is an order of magnitude greater than both the typical contraction observed for common engineering materials and also the anomalous expansion in established NLC candidates. This extreme behaviour arises from the honeycomb-like structure of Zn[Au(CN)2]2 coupling volume reduction to uniaxial expansion, and helical Au…Au ‘aurophilic’ interactions accommodating abnormally large linear strains by functioning as supramolecular springs.

The counterintuitive phenomenon of negative linear compressibility (NLC) is a highly desirable but rare property exploitable in the development of artificial muscles, actuators and next-generation pressure sensors. In all cases, material performance is directly related to the magnitude of intrinsic NLC response. Here we show the molecular framework material zinc(II) dicyanoaurate(I), Zn[Au(CN)(2)](2), exhibits the most extreme and persistent NLC behaviour yet reported: under increasing hydrostatic pressure its crystal structure expands in one direction at a rate that is an order of magnitude greater than both the typical contraction observed for common engineering materials and also the anomalous expansion in established NLC candidates. This extreme behaviour arises from the honeycomb-like structure of Zn[Au(CN)(2)](2) coupling volume reduction to uniaxial expansion, and helical Au…Au 'aurophilic' interactions accommodating abnormally large linear strains by functioning as supramolecular springs. PMID:23333999

The way flowers appear to insects is crucial for pollination. Here we describe an internal light-filtering effect in the flowers of Mirabilis jalapa, in which the visible fluorescence emitted by one pigment, a yellow betaxanthin, is absorbed by another, a violet betacyanin, to create a contrasting fluorescent pattern on the flower's petals. This finding opens up new possibilities for pollinator perception as fluorescence has not previously been considered as a potential signal in flowers. PMID:16163341

Fluorescent minerals are more than just an attractive novelty, and collecting them is a speciality for thousands of individuals who appreciate their beauty, rarity, and scientific value. Fluorescent properties can be used as an aid to mineral identification, locality determination, and distinction between natural and synthetic gemstones. This article gives an overview of those aspects of fluorescence that are of most interest to collectors, hobbyists, and mineralogists. -from Authors

Corals, like many other coelenterates, contain fluorescent pigments that show considerable homology with the well known green fluorescent protein of the jellyfish Aequoria. In corals, unlike jellyfish, multiple proteins are present and the range of excitations and emissions suggest the possibility of energy transfer. The occurrence of Förster resonant energy transfer (FRET) between fluorescent proteins in corals has already been reported and time-resolved spectra have shown the effect on fluorescent lifetime, but without any spatial resolution. Lifetime confocal microscopy offers lower time resolution but excellent spatial resolution. Lifetimes of the isolated A. millepora pigments amilFP490, amilFP504, and amilFP593 (names indicate emission peaks) were 2.8, 2.9, and 2.9 ns, respectively. In the coral sample, imaging the entire emission spectrum from 420 nm, the mean lifetime was reduced to 1.5 ns, implying that FRET was occurring. Looking just at the fluorescence from FRET donors the lifetime was even shorter, at 1.3 ns, supporting this interpretation. In contrast, no reduction in lifetime is seen in the coral Euphyllia ancora, where the pigment distribution also suggests that the pigments are unlikely to be involved in photoprotection. This study set out to determine the extent of FRET between pigments in two corals, Acropora millepora and Euphyllia, ancora which differ in the arrangement of their pigments and hence possibly in pigment function. PMID:17279514

Detection of anomalies (outliers or abnormal instances) is an important element in a range of applications such as fault, fraud, suspicious behavior detection and knowledge discovery. In this article we propose a new method for anomaly detection and performed tested its ability to detect anomalous behavior in videos from DARPA's Mind's Eye program, containing a variety of human activities. In this semi-unsupervised task a set of normal instances is provided for training, after which unknown abnormal behavior has to be detected in a test set. The features extracted from the video data have high dimensionality, are sparse and inhomogeneously distributed in the feature space making it a challenging task. Given these characteristics a distance-based method is preferred, but choosing a threshold to classify instances as (ab)normal is non-trivial. Our novel aproach, the Adaptive Outlier Distance (AOD) is able to detect outliers in these conditions based on local distance ratios. The underlying assumption is that the local maximum distance between labeled examples is a good indicator of the variation in that neighborhood, and therefore a local threshold will result in more robust outlier detection. We compare our method to existing state-of-art methods such as the Local Outlier Factor (LOF) and the Local Distance-based Outlier Factor (LDOF). The results of the experiments show that our novel approach improves the quality of the anomaly detection.

We have measured conductivity spectra of several supercooled monocationic and dicationic ionic liquids in the nonlinear regime by applying ac electric fields with large amplitudes up to about 180 kV /cm . Thereby, higher harmonic ac currents up to the 7th order were detected. Our results point to the existence of anomalous Wien effects in supercooled ionic liquids. Most ionic liquids studied here exhibit a conductivity-viscosity relation, which is close to the predictions of the Nernst-Einstein and Stokes-Einstein equations, as observed for classical strong electrolytes like KCl. These "strong" ionic liquids show a much stronger nonlinearity of the conductivity than classical strong electrolytes. On the other hand, the conductivity-viscosity relation of the ionic liquid [P6 ,6 ,6 ,14][Cl ] points to ion association effects. This "weak" ionic liquid shows a strength of the nonlinear effect, which is comparable to classical weak electrolytes. However, the nonlinearity increases quadratically with the field. We suggest that a theory for explaining these anomalies will have to go beyond the level of Coulomb lattice gas models.

When a ferromagnetic material is submitted to a temperature gradient and the magnetic field generates voltage on the edges of the samples, this is called the Anomalous Nernst Effect (ANE). The Heusler alloys that currently exhibit this effect are the most promising for spintronics and spin caloritronics. In this study we perform a theoretical investigation of voltage curves associated to the ANE, when the material displays magnetocrystalline anisotropy for experimental results in two configurations, ANE versus applied magnetic field and planar angle variations of ANE. We analyzed three types of magnetocrystalline anisotropy: cubic anisotropy (100) with C4 symmetry, uniaxial anisotropy with C2 symmetry and cubic anisotropy (110). The aim was to prove that cubic anisotropy (110) is equivalent to anisotropy (100) combined with uniaxial anisotropy. Theoretical fitting of experimental ANE data demonstrates this total equivalence and that a new interpretation with the use of cubic anisotropy (110) may be due to the atomic arrangement of the so-called full-Heusler. Comparative analyses of Co2FeAl and Co2MnGe alloys will be presented. CNPq, CAPES, FAPERN.

We examine an 8-year archive of synchronized, parallel time series of random data from a world spanning network of physical random event generators (REGs). The archive is a publicly accessible matrix of normally distributed 200-bit sums recorded at 1 Hz which extends from August 1998 to the present. The primary question is whether these data show non-random structure associated with major events such as natural or man-made disasters, terrible accidents, or grand celebrations. Secondarily, we examine the time course of apparently correlated responses. Statistical analyses of the data reveal consistent evidence that events which strongly affect people engender small but significant effects. These include suggestions of anticipatory responses in some cases, leading to a series of specialized analyses to assess possible non-random structure preceding precisely timed events. A focused examination of data collected around the time of earthquakes with Richter magnitude 6 and greater reveals non-random structure with a number of intriguing, potentially important features. Anomalous effects in the REG data are seen only when the corresponding earthquakes occur in populated areas. No structure is found if they occur in the oceans. We infer that an important contributor to the effect is the relevance of the earthquake to humans. Epoch averaging reveals evidence for changes in the data some hours prior to the main temblor, suggestive of reverse causation.

The authors present structural, magnetic, and superconducting behaviors for YBa[sub 2](Cu[sub 1[minus]x]Ni[sub x])[sub 3]O[sub y] with emphasis on x = 0.05 given various thermal redox sequencings. They demonstrate that materials quenched from various air annealing temperatures display an unusual extension of the orthorhombic regime compared to unsubstituted materials. In the range of annealing temperature near 970 K, this is accompanied by volume expansion anomalies and slow reoxygenation kinetics probably connected with partial 3+ charge localization on Cu. A second volume expansion anomaly occurs near 1,080 K, probably connected with partial 3+ charge localization on Ni. These materials can show diamagnetism up to 150K, possibly indicating a small amount of superconductivity. On reoxygenation at 673K materials undergo a slow transition, first to a paramagnetic-semiconducting state (designed K[sub o] compounds) and then after several days to a superconducting state similar to conventionally slow cooled oxygenating preparations (OP) which produce [Tc] [approximately] 74 K. These superconductors display anomalous Meissner effects, i.e. the observation of paramagnetism below [Tc] on small field cooling. This effect is connected with flux trapping in 2 types of regions, namely grain boundaries or local cluster inhomogeneities of the bulk.

Data from the cosmic ray experiment on Voyagers 1 and 2 was used to examine anomalous oxygen in the time period from launch in 1977 to the end of 1981. Several time periods were found where large periodic (typically 26 day) temporal variations of the oxygen intensity between approximately 5 - 15 MeV/nuc are present. Variations in intensity by up to a factor of 10 are observed during these periods. Several characteristics of these variations indicate that they are not higher energy extensions of the low energy particle (approximately 1 MeV/nuc) increases found in many corotating interaction regions (CIR's). Many of these periodic temporal variations are correlated with similar, but much smaller, recurrent variations in the 75 MeV proton rate. Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 counting rates were compared to estimate the local radial gradient for both the protons and the oxygen. The proton gradients during periods of both maximum and minumum fluxes are consistent with the overall positive radial gradients reported by others from Pioneer and near-Earth observations, supporting the view that these variations are due to local modulation of a source outside the radial range of project measurements. In contrast, the oxygen gradients during periods of maximum proton flux differ in sign from those during minimum proton fluxes, suggesting that the origin of the oxygen variations is different from that of the protons.

An improvement of plasma confinement by impurity seeding has been observed on different Tokamak. The understanding of the physics of the impurity transport is an important step towards the control of the plasma confinement in such regimes. Different physical mechanisms of the anomalous transport of carbon impurity and their impact on the evolution of the scenario of a tokamak discharge are analyzed in this work. This is done by using a self-consistent modeling of thermal electron and ion energy, and main ion and carbon impurity content with the multi-mode model taking into account the contributions from different types of plasma instabilities [1]. This study has been performed for the medium size tokamak with a central heating of the electron and ion species, and with both central (NBI) and wall particle source. The L-mode scenario and the scenario with an improved particle and energy confinement due to the reversed q-profile has been analyzed and the influence of the carbon impurity on the plasma evolution has been investigated by varying the starting time and the magnitude of the carbon influx. The effect of the main ion dilution on the growth rate as well as the effect of radiative cooling at the plasma edge on the power balance are analyzed under different conditions. 1. Bateman G., et al., Phys. Plasmas, 5 (1998) 1793

Variability in network performance is a major obstacle in effectively analyzing the throughput of modern high performance computer systems. High performance interconnec- tion networks offer excellent best-case network latencies; how- ever, highly parallel applications running on parallel machines typically require consistently high levels of performance to adequately leverage the massive amounts of available computing power. Performance analysts have usually quantified network performance using traditional summary statistics that assume the observational data is sampled from a normal distribution. In our examinations of network performance, we have found this method of analysis often provides too little data to under- stand anomalous network performance. Our tool, Confidence, instead uses an empirically derived probability distribution to characterize network performance. In this paper we describe several instances where the Confidence toolkit allowed us to understand and diagnose network performance anomalies that we could not adequately explore with the simple summary statis- tics provided by traditional measurement tools. In particular, we examine a multi-modal performance scenario encountered with an Infiniband interconnection network and we explore the performance repeatability on the custom Cray SeaStar2 interconnection network after a set of software and driver updates.

The Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP) orbits the second Earth-Sun libration point (L2)-about 1.5 million kilometers outside Earth's orbit-mapping cosmic microwave background radiation. To achieve orbit near L2 on a small fuel budget, the MAP spacecraft needed to swing past the Moon for a gravity assist. Timing the lunar swing-by required MAP to travel in three high-eccentricity phasing loops with critical maneuvers at a minimum of two, but nominally all three, of the perigee passes. On the approach to the first perigee maneuver, MAP telemetry showed a considerable change in system angular momentum that threatened to cause on-board Failure Detection and Correction (FDC) to abort the critical maneuver. Fortunately, the system momentum did not reach the FDC limit; however, the MAP team did develop a contingency strategy should a stronger anomaly occur before or during subsequent perigee maneuvers, Simultaneously, members of the MAP team developed and tested various hypotheses for the cause of the anomalous force. The final hypothesis was that water was outgassing from the thermal blanketing and freezing to the cold side of the solar shield. As radiation from Earth warmed the cold side of the spacecraft, the uneven sublimation of frozen water created a torque on the spacecraft.

We present a research proposal concerning the instrumented investigation of anomalous light phenomena that are apparently correlated with particular mind states, such as prayer, meditation or psi. Previous research by these authors demonstrate that such light phenomena can be monitored and measured quite efficiently in areas of the world where they are reported in a recurrent way. Instruments such as optical equipment for photography and spectroscopy, VLF spectrometers, magnetometers, radar and IR viewers were deployed and used massively in several areas of the world. Results allowed us to develop physical models concerning the structural and time-variable behaviour of light phenomena, and their kinematics. Recent insights and witnesses have suggested to us that a sort of "synchronous connection" seems to exist between plasma-like phenomena and particular mind states of experiencers who seem to trigger a light manifestation which is very similar to the one previously investigated. The main goal of these authors is now aimed at the search for a concrete "entanglement-like effect" between the experiencer's mind and the light phenomena, in such a way that both aspects are intended to be monitored and measured simultaneously using appropriate instrumentation. The goal of this research project is twofold: a) to verify quantitatively the existence of one very particular kind of mind-matter interaction and to study in real time its physical and biophysical manifestations; b) to repeat the same kind of experiment using the same test-subject in different locations and under various conditions of geomagnetic activity.

The course and the branching patterns of the external carotid artery were investigated macroscopically in a total of 550 bodies or 1100 head sides of Japanese subjects, donated for student dissection at Kumamoto University from 1994 to 2014. With the exception of 14 head sides, the external carotid arteries running between the posterior belly of the digastric and stylohyoid muscles were found in 42 (3.87 %) out of 1086 head sides. Strictly speaking, they passed between the stylohyoid muscle and the stylohyoid branch of the facial nerve in 23 out of these 42 head sides. In the remaining 19 instances, the stylohyoid branch of the facial nerve was cut and its relationship to the external carotid artery was not clear. The external carotid artery running lateral to the intact stylohyoid branch of the facial nerve, medial to the digastric muscle was not found. The external carotid arteries running lateral to the digastric muscle were found in 4 (0.37 %) out of 1086 head sides. As a result, it is proposed that plural, potential courses of the external carotid artery originally exist and that some parts of such potential courses remain as branches of the external carotid artery in the usual instance, while the anomalous courses of the external carotid artery are induced mainly by anastomosis between the muscular branches supplying the wall of the head and neck in contrast to the usual external carotid artery induced mainly by the branches originally supplying the pharynx. PMID:26439732

Each human language possesses a set of distinctive syntactic rules. Here, we show that balanced Welsh-English bilinguals reading in English unconsciously apply a morphosyntactic rule that only exists in Welsh. The Welsh soft mutation rule determines whether the initial consonant of a noun changes based on the grammatical context (e.g., the feminine noun cath--"cat" mutates into gath in the phrase y gath--"the cat"). Using event-related brain potentials, we establish that English nouns artificially mutated according to the Welsh mutation rule (e.g., "goncert" instead of "concert") require significantly less processing effort than the same nouns implicitly violating Welsh syntax. Crucially, this effect is found whether or not the mutation affects the same initial consonant in English and Welsh, showing that Welsh syntax is applied to English regardless of phonological overlap between the two languages. Overall, these results demonstrate for the first time that abstract syntactic rules transfer anomalously from one language to the other, even when such rules exist only in one language. PMID:24920636

We have measured conductivity spectra of several supercooled monocationic and dicationic ionic liquids in the nonlinear regime by applying ac electric fields with large amplitudes up to about 180 kV/cm. Thereby, higher harmonic ac currents up to the 7th order were detected. Our results point to the existence of anomalous Wien effects in supercooled ionic liquids. Most ionic liquids studied here exhibit a conductivity-viscosity relation, which is close to the predictions of the Nernst-Einstein and Stokes-Einstein equations, as observed for classical strong electrolytes like KCl. These "strong" ionic liquids show a much stronger nonlinearity of the conductivity than classical strong electrolytes. On the other hand, the conductivity-viscosity relation of the ionic liquid [P_{6,6,6,14}][Cl] points to ion association effects. This "weak" ionic liquid shows a strength of the nonlinear effect, which is comparable to classical weak electrolytes. However, the nonlinearity increases quadratically with the field. We suggest that a theory for explaining these anomalies will have to go beyond the level of Coulomb lattice gas models. PMID:27203333

We present the results of plate impact experiments performed on 30%-75% porous, polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate polyurethane foams. The combination of new data with those previously obtained on full-density material was used to calibrate complete equations-of-state under both inert and chemically reactive frameworks. Description of unreacted polyurethane was based on a combination of Hayes and P-α models, whereas its decomposition products were predicted via free energy minimization under the assumption of chemical and thermodynamic equilibrium. Correspondence of experiment and theory suggests that polyurethane at all densities decomposes when shocked above some threshold pressure, and that this threshold falls dramatically as a function of initial porosity. The shock locus of foams at 50% or less of theoretical maximum density was found "anomalous" in the sense that final volumes increased with pressure. We attribute this anomaly to chemical decomposition of the initial matrix to a mixture of small-molecule fluids and bulk carbon (graphite or diamond, depending on the initial density).

Discovery of superconductivity in PbO-type FeSe has generated a lot of interest. Among the samples we synthesize with similar structure, NiSi has showed anomalous but very interesting results. Nickel silicides are important electronic materials that have been used as contacts for field effect transistors, as interconnects and in nanoelectronic devices. The magnetic properties of NiSi are not well known, however. In this presentation, we report a highly unusual magnetic phenomenon in NiSi. The ac susceptibility measurements on NiSi reveal strong frequency dependence of static and dynamic susceptibilities that are primarily diamagnetic at room temperature. The static susceptibility is found to exhibit a strong frequency dependence of the diamagnetic response below 100K, while dynamic susceptibility showed peak type feature at 10KHz frequency around 50K. Detailed neutron scattering measurements on high quality powder sample of NiSi on SPINS cold spectrometer further revealed an inelastic peak around 1.5meV, even though no magnetic order is detected. The inelastic peak dissipates above 100K, which is where the static susceptibility starts to diverge with frequency. Research is supported by U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences under Grant No. DE-SC0014461.

The dynamics of water exhibits anomalous behavior in the presence of different electrolytes. Recent experiments [Kim JS, Wu Z, Morrow AR, Yethiraj A, Yethiraj A (2012) J Phys Chem B 116(39):12007–12013] have found that the self-diffusion of water can either be enhanced or suppressed around CsI and NaCl, respectively, relative to that of neat water. Here we show that unlike classical empirical potentials, ab initio molecular dynamics simulations successfully reproduce the qualitative trends observed experimentally. These types of phenomena have often been rationalized in terms of the “structure-making” or “structure-breaking” effects of different ions on the solvent, although the microscopic origins of these features have remained elusive. Rather than disrupting the network in a significant manner, the electrolytes studied here cause rather subtle changes in both structural and dynamical properties of water. In particular, we show that water in the ab initio molecular dynamics simulations is characterized by dynamic heterogeneity, which turns out to be critical in reproducing the experimental trends. PMID:24522111

X-ray scattering is typically used as a weak linear atomic-scale probe of matter. At high intensities, such as produced at free-electron lasers, nonlinearities can become important, and the probe may no longer be considered weak. Here we report the observation of one of the most fundamental nonlinear X-ray-matter interactions: the concerted nonlinear Compton scattering of two identical hard X-ray photons producing a single higher-energy photon. The X-ray intensity reached 4 × 1020 W cm-2, corresponding to an electric field well above the atomic unit of strength and within almost four orders of magnitude of the quantum-electrodynamic critical field. We measure a signal from solid beryllium that scales quadratically in intensity, consistent with simultaneous non-resonant two-photon scattering from nearly-free electrons. The high-energy photons show an anomalously large redshift that is incompatible with a free-electron approximation for the ground-state electron distribution, suggesting an enhanced nonlinearity for scattering at large momentum transfer.

The detection of an excess of emission at microwave frequencies with respect to the predicted free-free emission has been reportedfor several Galactic HII regions. Here, we investigate the case of RCW 49, for which the Cosmic Background Imager tentatively (~ 3 sigma) detected Anomalous Microwave Emission at 31 GHz on angular scales of 7'. Using the Australia Telescope Compact Array, we carried out a multi-frequency (5 GHz, 19 GHz and 34 GHz) continuum study of the region, complemented by observations of the H109 alpha radio recombination line. The analysis shows that: 1) the spatial correlation between the microwave and IR emission persists on angular scales from 3.4' to 0.4'', although the degree of the correlation slightly decreases at higher frequencies and on smaller angular scales; 2) the spectral indices between 1.4 and 5 GHz are globally in agreement with optically thin free-free emission, however, ~ 30 % of these are positive and much greater than -0.1, consistently with a stellar wind scenario; 3) no major evidence for inverted free-free radiation is found, indicating that this is likely not the cause of the Anomalous Emission in RCW 49. Although our results cannot rule out the spinning dust hypothesis to explain the tentative detection of Anomalous Microwave emission in RCW 49, they emphasize the complexity of astronomical sources very well known and studied such as HII regions, and suggest that, at least in these objects, the reported excess of emissionmight be ascribed to alternative mechanisms such as stellar winds and shocks.

We report a nanoapertured metal surface that demonstrates anomalous refraction of light for a wide range of incident angles. A nanoslit aperture is designed to serve as a tilted vertical-dipole whose radiation pattern orients to a glancing angle direction to substrate. An array of such slanted nanoslits formed in a metal film redirects an incident beam into the direction of negative refraction angle: the aperture-transmitted wave makes a far-field propagation to the tilt-oriented direction of radiation pattern. The thus-designed nanoaperture array demonstrates the −1st order diffraction (i.e., to the negative refraction-angle direction) with well-suppressed background transmission (the zero-order direct transmission and other higher-order diffractions). Engineering the radiation pattern of nanoaperture offers an approach to overcoming the limits of conventional diffractive/refractive optics and complementing metasurface-based nano-optics.

Measurements of atmospheric methane from a globally distributed network of air sampling sites indicate that the globally averaged CH4 growth rate increased from an average of 3.9 ppb/yr during 1995-1997 to 12.7 +/- 0.6 ppb in 1998. The global growth rate then decreased to 2.6 +/- 0.6 ppb during 1999, indicating that the large increase in 1998 was an anomaly and not a return to the larger growth rates observed during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The increased growth rate represents an anomalous increase in the imbalance between CH4 sources and sinks equal to approximately 24 Tg CH4 during 1998. Wetlands and boreal biomass burning are sources that may have contributed to the anomaly. During 1998, the globally averaged temperature anomaly was +0.67 C, the largest temperature anomaly in the modern record. A regression model based on temperature and precipitation anomalies was used to calculate emission anomalies of 11.6 Tg CH4 from wetlands north of 30 N and 13 Tg CH4 for tropical wetlands during 1998 compared to average emissions calculated for 1982-1993. In 1999, calculated wetland emission anomalies were negative for high northern latitudes and the tropics, contributing to the low growth rate observed in 1999. Also 1998 was a severe fire year in boreal regions where approximately 1.3x10(exp 5) sq km of forest and peat land burned releasing an estimated 5.7 Tg CH4

A 45-year-old male patient presented with acute anterior wall myocardial infarction. Angiography revealed a single coronary trunk arising from the ascending aorta above the coronary sinuses and giving rise to right coronary artery, left circumflex artery and critical stenosis in the left anterior descending artery. This report also highlights the feasibility of performing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in this rare anomaly and discusses the important technical considerations to be kept in mind while attempting such a case. This is the first report of such an anomalous origin of a single coronary trunk arising from ascending aorta. PMID:26138250

We propose an 'ultimate' upgrade of the Karl- Sehgal (KS) formula which relates baryon magnetic moments to the spin structure of constituent quarks, by adding anomalous magnetic moments of quarks. We first argue that relativistic nature of quarks inside baryons requires introduction of two kinds of magnetisms, one axial and the other tensoriel. The first one is associated with integrated quark helicity distributions {delta}i - {delta}i-bar (standard ) and the second with integrated transversity distributions {delta}i - {delta}i-bar. The weight of each contribution is controlled by the combination of two parameters, xi the ratio of the quark mass to the average kinetic energy and ai the quark anomalous magnetic moment. The quark anomalous magnetic moment is thus shown to be correlated to transversity. The proposed formula confirms, with reasonable inputs that anomalous magnetic moments of quarks are unavoidable intrinsic properties.

The origin of anomalous electron transport across the magnetic field in the channel of a Hall effect thruster has been the subject of controversy, and the relative importance of electron-wall collisions and plasma turbulence on anomalous transport is not clear. From comparisons between Fabry-Perot measurements and hybrid model calculations of the ion velocity profile in a 5 kW Hall effect thruster, we deduce that one and the same mechanism is responsible for anomalous electron transport inside and outside the Hall effect thruster channel. This suggests that the previous assumption that Bohm anomalous conductivity is dominant outside the thruster channel whereas electron-wall conductivity prevails inside the channel is not valid.

The anomalous Hall effect is investigated experimentally and theoretically for ferromagnetic thin films of Mn{sub 5}Ge{sub 3}. We have separated the intrinsic and extrinsic contributions to the experimental anomalous Hall effect and calculated the intrinsic anomalous Hall conductivity from the Berry curvature of the Bloch states using first-principles methods. The intrinsic anomalous Hall conductivity depends linearly on the magnetization, which can be understood from the long-wavelength fluctuations of the spin orientation at finite temperatures. The quantitative agreement between theory and experiment is remarkably good, not only near 0 K but also at finite temperatures, up to about -240 K (0.8T{sub c}).

The Chelyabinsk meteorite is "strange" because it hits an area in the Urals where anomalous events are observed: shining skies, light balls, UFOs, electrphonic bolids. The area tectonically occurs at the intersection of two fold belts: Urals and Timan.

Recent work leading to deduction of anomalous scaling exponents for the inertial range of an advected passive field from the equations of motion is reviewed. Implications for other turbulence problems are discussed.

The anomalous drag, D, due to large amplitude plasma waves is used for the first time, in place of {eta}*j, to estimate dissipation at the sub-solar magnetopause and to determine the extent to which this drag accounts for the reconnection electric field. This anomalous drag is determined by measuring correlations of the fluctuations in the electric field and plasma density. Large amplitude electric fields occurred more than 60% of the time in the more than 100 sub-solar, low latitude magnetopause crossings of the THEMIS satellite. They occurred mainly near the magnetospheric separatrix in the form of electrostatic lower hybrid and whistler waves. The anomalous drag at the separatrix was generally <10% of the average reconnection electric field, and it was <1% of the field in the current sheet. Thus, anomalous drag due to waves is not a significant driver of reconnection or of the required dissipation at the sub-solar magnetopause.

Anomalous transport is typically the dominant component of the radial transport in magnetically confined plasmas, where the physical origin of this transport is believed to be plasma turbulence. A model is presented for anomalous transport that can be used in continuum kinetic edge codes like TEMPEST, NEO and the next-generation code being developed by the Edge Simulation Laboratory. The model can also be adapted to particle-based codes. It is demonstrated that the model with a velocity-dependent diffusion and convection terms can match a diagonal gradient-driven transport matrix as found in contemporary fluid codes, but can also include off-diagonal effects. The anomalous transport model is also combined with particle drifts and a particle/energy-conserving Krook collision operator to study possible synergistic effects with neoclassical transport. For the latter study, a velocity-independent anomalous diffusion coefficient is used to mimic the effect of long-wavelength ExB turbulence.

A method of responding to an anomalous change in downhole pressure in a bore hole comprises detecting the anomalous change in downhole pressure, sending a signal along the segmented electromagnetic transmission path, receiving the signal, and performing a automated response. The anomalous change in downhole pressure is detected at a first location along a segmented electromagnetic transmission path, and the segmented electromagnetic transmission path is integrated into the tool string. The signal is received by at least one receiver in communication with the segmented electromagnetic transmission path. The automated response is performed along the tool string. Disclosed is an apparatus for responding to an anomalous change in downhole pressure in a downhole tool string, comprising a segmented electromagnetic transmission path connecting one or more receivers and at least one pressure sensor.

The flavor democracy hypothesis predicts the existence of the fourth standard model family. Because of the high masses of the fourth family quarks, their anomalous decays could be dominant if certain criteria are met. This will drastically change the search strategy at hadron colliders. We show that the fourth standard model family down quarks with masses up to 400-450 GeV can be observed (or excluded) via anomalous decays by Tevatron.

The authors describe the development of a simulation framework for anomalous change detection that considers both the spatial and spectral aspects of the imagery. A purely spectral framework has previously been introduced, but the extension to spatio-spectral requires attention to a variety of new issues, and requires more careful modeling of the anomalous changes. Using this extended framework, they evaluate the utility of spatial image processing operators to enhance change detection sensitivity in (simulated) remote sensing imagery.

Anomalous diffusion is discussed in the context of quantum Brownian motion with colored noise. It is shown that earlier results follow simply and directly from the fluctuation-dissipation theorem. The limits on the long-time dependence of anomalous diffusion are shown to be a consequence of the second law of thermodynamics. The special case of an electron interacting with the radiation field is discussed in detail. We apply our results to wave-packet spreading.

Thermoelectric properties of a model skyrmion crystal were theoretically investigated, and it was found that its large anomalous Hall conductivity, corresponding to large Chern numbers induced by its peculiar spin structure leads to a large transverse thermoelectric voltage through the anomalous Nernst effect. This implies the possibility of finding good thermoelectric materials among skyrmion systems, and thus motivates our quests for them by means of the first-principles calculations as were employed in this study. PMID:27306142

Thermoelectric properties of a model skyrmion crystal were theoretically investigated, and it was found that its large anomalous Hall conductivity, corresponding to large Chern numbers induced by its peculiar spin structure leads to a large transverse thermoelectric voltage through the anomalous Nernst effect. This implies the possibility of finding good thermoelectric materials among skyrmion systems, and thus motivates our quests for them by means of the first-principles calculations as were employed in this study. PMID:27306142

Thermoelectric properties of a model skyrmion crystal were theoretically investigated, and it was found that its large anomalous Hall conductivity, corresponding to large Chern numbers induced by its peculiar spin structure leads to a large transverse thermoelectric voltage through the anomalous Nernst effect. This implies the possibility of finding good thermoelectric materials among skyrmion systems, and thus motivates our quests for them by means of the first-principles calculations as were employed in this study.

A method is disclosed for identifying zones anomalously absorptive of seismic energy. The method includes jointly time-frequency decomposing seismic traces, low frequency bandpass filtering the decomposed traces to determine a general trend of mean frequency and bandwidth of the seismic traces, and high frequency bandpass filtering the decomposed traces to determine local variations in the mean frequency and bandwidth of the seismic traces. Anomalous zones are determined where there is difference between the general trend and the local variations.

In this letter we consider the phase diffusion of a harmonically driven undamped pendulum and show that it is anomalous in the strong sense. The role played by the fractal properties of the phase space is highlighted, providing an illustration of the link between deterministic chaos and anomalous transport. Finally, we build a stochastic model which reproduces most properties of the original Hamiltonian system by alternating ballistic flights and random diffusion.

Negative ions tend to stratify in electronegative plasmas with hot electrons (electron temperature Te much larger than ion temperature Ti, Te > Ti ). The boundary separating a plasma containing negative ions, and a plasma, without negative ions, is usually thin, so that the negative ion density falls rapidly to zero-forming a negative ion density front. We review theoretical, experimental and numerical results giving the spatio-temporal evolution of negative ion density fronts during plasma ignition, the steady state, and extinction (afterglow). During plasma ignition, negative ion fronts are the result of the break of smooth plasma density profiles during nonlinear convection. In a steady-state plasma, the fronts are boundary layers with steepening of ion density profiles due to nonlinear convection also. But during plasma extinction, the ion fronts are of a completely different nature. Negative ions diffuse freely in the plasma core (no convection), whereas the negative ion front propagates towards the chamber walls with a nearly constant velocity. The concept of fronts turns out to be very effective in analysis of plasma density profile evolution in strongly non-isothermal plasmas.

The goal of anomalous change detection (ACD) is to identify what unusual changes have occurred in a scene, based on two images of the scene taken at different times and under different conditions. The actual anomalous changes need to be distinguished from the incidental differences that occur throughout the imagery, and one of the most common and confounding of these incidental differences is due to the misregistration of the images, due to limitations of the registration pre-processing applied to the image pair. We propose a general method to compensate for residual misregistration in any ACD algorithm which constructs an estimate of the degree of 'anomalousness' for every pixel in the image pair. The method computes a modified misregistration-insensitive anomalousness by making local re-registration adjustments to minimize the local anomalousness. In this paper we describe a symmetrized version of our initial algorithm, and find significant performance improvements in the anomalous change detection ROC curves for a number of real and synthetic data sets.

In this paper, we have described a type of resistance that has attracted increasing psychoanalytic attention in recent years. Patients exposed to intense negativity during early life may develop an addiction to negative experience as adolescents and adults, and this may constitute a central organizing feature of their personality. In almost all patients, however, some moments of negativity may be observed. We have traced the developmental origins of an attachment to negativity, drawing especially on psychoanalytic investigations of preoedipal pathology. Manifestations and derivatives of early negativity include anhedonia, attachment to physical pain, fear of success, masochism, deprivation of self and others, and negative voyeurism. In discussing the dynamic functions of negativity, we place particular emphasis on two motives: the patient's desires for revenge against early objects that have been a source of deprivation and frustration; and the defensive function of negativity in helping to express as well as ward off dangerous wishes to merge with the object. Deviant forms of autoerotism are likely to be used by these patients to deal with the reactivation of early experiences of neglect and rejection. When negativity is used as a defense or method of relating to others it can lead to a severe disruption of the psychotherapeutic relationship. We have reviewed suggestions for the management of extreme negativity in treatment. Resolution of the therapist's countertransference reactions, especially induced feelings of frustration, rage, and helplessness, is crucial. Emphasis also has been placed on the patient's desires for revenge against self and object, and the manner in which these may be understood and eventually resolved. Only when patient and therapist begin to investigate the adaptive functions of extreme negativity can this pathological symptom be resolved and the patient's awareness of self and sense of autonomy be enhanced. PMID:1763149

Fluorescent molecules are much in demand for biosensors, solar cells, LEDs and VCSEL diodes, therefore, considerable efforts have been expended in designing and tailoring fluorescence to specific technical applications. However, naturally occurring fluorescence of diverse types has been reported from a wide array of living organisms: most famously, the jellyfish Aequorea victoria, but also in over 100 species of coral and in the cuticle of scorpions, where it is the rule, rather than the exception. Despite the plethora of known insect species, comparatively few quantitative studies have been made of insect fluorescence. Because of the potential applications of natural fluorescence, studies in this field have relevance to both physics and biology. Therefore, in this paper, we review the literature on insect fluorescence, before documenting its occurrence in the longhorn beetles Sternotomis virescens, Sternotomis variabilis var. semi rufescens, Anoplophora elegans and Stellognatha maculata, the tiger beetles Cicindela maritima and Cicindela germanica and the weevil Pachyrrhynchus gemmatus purpureus. Optical features of insect fluorescence, including emitted wavelength, molecular ageing and naturally occurring combinations of fluorescence with bioluminescence and colour-producing structures are discussed.

One of the fundamental constants of nature is the baryon asymmetry of the universe -- the ratio of the number of baryons to the entropy. This constant is about 10{sup {minus}11}. In baryon- number conserving theories, this was just an initial condition. With the advent of the grand unified theories (GUTs), baryon number is no longer conserved, and this asymmetry can be generated dynamically. Unfortunately, however, there are reasons for preferring another mechanism. For example, GUTs predict proton decay which, after extensive searches, has not been found. An alternative place to look for baryogenesis is the electroweak phase transition, described by the standard model, which posses all the necessary ingredients for baryogenesis. Anomalous baryon-number violation in weak interactions becomes large at high temperatures, which offers the prospect of creating the asymmetry with the standard model or minimal extensions. This can just barely be done if certain conditions are fulfilled. CP violation must be large, which rules out the minimal standard model as the source of the asymmetry, but which is easily arranged with an extended Higgs sector. The baryon-number violating rates themselves are not exactly known, and they must be pushed to their theoretical limits. A more exact determination of these rates is needed before a definitive answer can be given. Finally, the phase transition must be at least weakly first order. Such phase transitions are accompanied by the formation and expansion of bubbles of true vacuum within the false vacuum, much like the boiling of water. As the bubbles expand, they provide a departure from thermal equilibrium, otherwise the dynamics will adjust the net baryon number to zero. The bubble expansion also provides a biasing that creates an asymmetry on the bubbles surface. Under optimal conditions, the observed asymmetry can just be produced. 31 refs., 10 figs.

Monte Carlo computer simulations are carried out for a model system of like-charged colloidal platelets in the isothermal-isobaric ensemble (NpT). The aim is to elucidate the role of electrostatic interactions on the structure of synthetic clay systems at high particle densities. Short-range repulsions between particles are described by a suitable hard-core model representing a discotic particle. This potential is supplemented with an electrostatic potential based on a Yukawa model for the screened Coulombic potential between infinitely thin disklike macro-ions. The particle aspect-ratio and electrostatic parameters were chosen to mimic an aqueous dispersion of thin, like-charged, rigid colloidal platelets at finite salt concentration. An examination of the fluid phase diagram reveals a marked shift in the isotropic-nematic transition compared to the hard cut-sphere reference system. Several statistical functions, such as the pair correlation function for the center-of-mass coordinates and structure factor, are obtained to characterize the structural organization of the platelets phases. At low salinity and high osmotic pressure we observe anomalous hexagonal columnar structures characterized by interpenetrating columns with a typical intercolumnar distance corresponding to about half of that of a regular columnar phase. Increasing the ionic strength leads to the formation of glassy, disordered structures consisting of compact clusters of platelets stacked into finite-sized columns. These so-called "nematic columnar" structures have been recently observed in systems of charge-stabilized gibbsite platelets. Our findings are corroborated by an analysis of the static structure factor from a simple density functional theory. PMID:22280777

In this paper, we use nonequilibrium molecular dynamics modeling to investigate the thermal properties of monolayer hexagonal boron nitride nanoribbons under uniaxial strain along their longitudinal axis. Our simulations predict that hexagonal boron nitride shows an anomalous thermal response to the applied uniaxial strain. Contrary to three dimensional materials, under uniaxial stretching, the thermal conductivity of boron nitride nanoribbons first increases rather than decreasing until it reaches its peak value and then starts decreasing. Under compressive strain, the thermal conductivity of monolayer boron nitride ribbons monolithically reduces rather than increasing. We use phonon spectrum and dispersion curves to investigate the mechanism responsible for the unexpected behavior. Our molecular dynamics modeling and density functional theory results show that application of longitudinal tensile strain leads to the reduction of the group velocities of longitudinal and transverse acoustic modes. Such a phonon softening mechanism acts to reduce the thermal conductivity of the nanoribbons. On the other hand, a significant increase in the group velocity (stiffening) of the flexural acoustic modes is observed, which counteracts the phonon softening effects of the longitudinal and transverse modes. The total thermal conductivity of the ribbons is a result of competition between these two mechanisms. At low tensile strain, the stiffening mechanism overcomes the softening mechanism which leads to an increase in the thermal conductivity. At higher tensile strain, the softening mechanism supersedes the stiffening and the thermal conductivity slightly reduces. Our simulations show that the decrease in the thermal conductivity under compressive strain is attributed to the formation of buckling defects which reduces the phonon mean free path.

Discusses a method for extrapolation of diachronic processes from synchronic states, the dynamicization of synchronic typologies, to propose a hitherto unobserved historical source for markers of verbal negation, namely irregular negative existential predicate forms. Explanations are proposed for the occurrence of the attested processes in this…

Identifies and discusses the elements and applications of learning from negative morality. Negative morality refers to the experience of learning from mistakes thereby creating a body of personal knowledge about "what not to do." This knowledge not only protects individuals but steers them to the right behavior. (MJP)

The coupled quantum dots can be designed to possess negative polarizability in low-lying excited states. In an electric field, the coupled dots are polarized, and the dipole moment of the coupled dots is reversed by absorbing one photon. This photoswitch effect is a new photoinduced phenomenon.

The Schwarzschild solution to the matter free, spherically symmetric Einstein equations has one free parameter, the mass. But the mass can be of any sign. What is the meaning of the negative mass solutions? The answer to this question for the case of a pure Schwarzschild negative mass black solution is still elusive, however, in this essay, we will consider negative mass solutions within a Schwarzschild-de Sitter geometry. We show that there exist reasonable configurations of matter, bubbles of distributions of matter, that satisfy the dominant energy condition everywhere, that are nonsingular and well behaved everywhere, but correspond to the negative mass Schwarzschild-de Sitter geometry outside the matter distribution. These negative mass bubbles could occur as the end state of a quantum tunneling transition.

A key challenge in the SAD phasing method is solving a structure when the anomalous signal-to-noise ratio is low. A simple theoretical framework for describing measurements of anomalous differences and the resulting useful anomalous correlation and anomalous signal in a SAD experiment is presented. Here, the useful anomalous correlation is defined as the correlation of anomalous differences with ideal anomalous differences from the anomalous substructure. The useful anomalous correlation reflects the accuracy of the data and the absence of minor sites. The useful anomalous correlation also reflects the information available for estimating crystallographic phases once the substructure has been determined. In contrast, the anomalous signal (the peak height in a model-phased anomalous difference Fourier at the coordinates of atoms in the anomalous substructure) reflects the information available about each site in the substructure and is related to the ability to find the substructure. A theoretical analysis shows that the expected value of the anomalous signal is the product of the useful anomalous correlation, the square root of the ratio of the number of unique reflections in the data set to the number of sites in the substructure, and a function that decreases with increasing values of the atomic displacement factor for the atoms in the substructure. This means that the ability to find the substructure in a SAD experiment is increased by high data quality and by a high ratio of reflections to sites in the substructure, and is decreased by high atomic displacement factors for the substructure. PMID:26960122

A key challenge in the SAD phasing method is solving a structure when the anomalous signal-to-noise ratio is low. A simple theoretical framework for describing measurements of anomalous differences and the resulting useful anomalous correlation and anomalous signal in a SAD experiment is presented. Here, the useful anomalous correlation is defined as the correlation of anomalous differences with ideal anomalous differences from the anomalous substructure. The useful anomalous correlation reflects the accuracy of the data and the absence of minor sites. The useful anomalous correlation also reflects the information available for estimating crystallographic phases once the substructure has been determined. In contrast, the anomalous signal (the peak height in a model-phased anomalous difference Fourier at the coordinates of atoms in the anomalous substructure) reflects the information available about each site in the substructure and is related to the ability to find the substructure. A theoretical analysis shows that the expected value of the anomalous signal is the product of the useful anomalous correlation, the square root of the ratio of the number of unique reflections in the data set to the number of sites in the substructure, and a function that decreases with increasing values of the atomic displacement factor for the atoms in the substructure. This means that the ability to find the substructure in a SAD experiment is increased by high data quality and by a high ratio of reflections to sites in the substructure, and is decreased by high atomic displacement factors for the substructure. PMID:26960122

Fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs) are one of the new and very promising biocompatible nanomaterials that can be used both as a fluorescence imaging agent and a highly versatile platform for controlled functionalization to target and deliver a wide spectrum of therapeutic agents. Among the remarkable fluorescence properties are excellent photostability, emission between 600-700nm, quantum yield of 1 and moderately long fluorescence lifetimes. However the low absorption cross section of fluorescent (N-V)(-) centers limits FNDs' brightness. In this work we show that an approach based on the Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) may significantly enhance the fluorescence signal observed from a single ND. We demonstrate that organic dyes (fluorophores) attached to the FND surface can efficiently transfer the excitation energy to (N-V)(-) centers. Multiple dyes positioned in close proximity to the ND facile surface may serve as harvesting antennas transferring excitation energy to the fluorescent centers. We propose that, with the help of some of the functional groups present on the FND surface, we can either directly link flurophores or use scalable dendrimer chemistry to position many organic dyes at a calibrated distance. Also, the remaining multiple functional groups will be still available for particle targeting and drug delivery. This opens a new way for designing a new type of theranostics particles of ultrahigh brightness, high photostability, specific targeting, and high capacity for drug delivery. PMID:22394126

Under a constant drift, the linear kriging estimator is considered as a weighted average of n available sample values. Kriging weights are determined such that the estimator is unbiased and optimal. To meet these requirements, negative kriging weights are sometimes found. Use of negative weights can produce negative block grades, which makes no practical sense. In some applications, all kriging weights may be required to be nonnegative. In this paper, a derivation of a set of nonlinear equations with the nonnegative constraint is presented. A numerical algorithm also is developed for the solution of the new set of kriging equations.

A negative birefringent film, useful in liquid crystal displays, and a method for controlling the negative birefringence of a polyimide film is disclosed which allows the matching of an application to a targeted amount of birefringence by controlling the degree of in-plane orientation of the polyimide by the selection of functional groups within both the diamine and dianhydride segments of the polyimide which affect the polyimide backbone chain rigidity, linearity, and symmetry. The higher the rigidity, linearity and symmetry of the polyimide backbone, the larger the value of the negative birefringence of the polyimide film.

The production of negative hydrogen ions is investigated in the reflex-type negative ion source. The extracted negative hydrogen currents of 9.7 mA (100 mA/cm('2)) for H('-) and of 4.1 mA (42 mA/cm('2)) for D('-) are obtained continuously. The impurity is less then 1%. An isotope effect of negative ion production is observed. When anomalous diffusion in the positive column was found by Lehnert and Hoh (1960), it was pointed out that the large particle loss produced by anomalous diffusion is compensated by the large particle production inside the plasma; i.e. the plasma tries to maintain itself. "The self-sustaining property of the plasma" is applied to the reflex-type negative ion source. Anomalous diffusion was artificially encouraged by changing the radial electric field inside the reflex discharge. The apparent encouragement of negative ion diffusion by the increase of density fluctuation amplitude is observed. Twice as much negative ion current was obtained with the artificial encouragement as without. It is found from the quasilinear theory that the inwardly directed radial electric field destabilizes the plasma in the reflex-type ion source. The nonlinear theory based on Yoshikawa method (1962) is extended, and the anomalous diffusion coefficient in a weakly ionized plasma is obtained. "The electrostatic sheath trap", which increases the confinement of negative ions in the reflex-type ion source, is also discussed. It has been suggested that the dissociative attachment of electrons to excited molecules might be responsible for the high negative ion production in a hydrogen plasma: Bacal and Hamilton (1979). A recent calculation by Wadehra (1979) showed a significant enhancement of the dissociative attachment rate by the vibrational excitation of the initial molecules. The largest attachment rate was given at an electron temperature of about 1.5 eV. In our experiment, the maximum extracted negative ion current. was obtained at an electron temperature of about

Matrix metalloproteinase-14 (MMP-14) is involved in cancer invasion, metastasis, and angiogenesis. Therefore, it is considered to be a biomarker for aggressive cancer types, including some of the triple-negative breast cancer. Accurate (i.e., specific) and sensitive detection of MMP-14 can, thus, be important for the early diagnosis of and accurate prognosis for aggressive cancer, including the breast cancer caused by cell line MDA-MB 231. Fluorophore-mediated molecular sensing has been used for detecting biomarkers, for a long time. One way to increase the specificity of the sensing is designing the fluorophore to emit its fluorescence only when it encounters the biomarker of interest. When a fluorophore is placed on the surface of, or very close to a gold nanoparticle (GNP), its fluorescence is quenched. Applying this relationship between the GNP and fluorophore, we have developed a GNP-based, near-infrared fluorescent contrast agent that is highly specific for MMP-14. This agent normally emits only 14-17 % fluorescence of the free fluorophore. When the agent encounters MMP-14, its fluorescence gets fully restored, allowing MMP-14 specific optical signal emission. PMID:27526171

Thermostable fluorescent proteins (TSFPs), methods for generating these and other stability-enhanced proteins, polynucleotides encoding such proteins, and assays and method for using the TSFPs and TSFP-encoding nucleic acid molecules are provided. The TSFPs of the invention show extremely enhanced levels of stability and thermotolerance. In one case, for example, a TSFP of the invention is so stable it can be heated to 99.degree. C. for short periods of time without denaturing, and retains 85% of its fluorescence when heated to 80.degree. C. for several minutes. The invention also provides a method for generating stability-enhanced variants of a protein, including but not limited to fluorescent proteins.

Thermostable fluorescent proteins (TSFPs), methods for generating these and other stability-enhanced proteins, polynucleotides encoding such proteins, and assays and method for using the TSFPs and TSFP-encoding nucleic acid molecules are provided. The TSFPs of the invention show extremely enhanced levels of stability and thermotolerance. In one case, for example, a TSFP of the invention is so stable it can be heated to 99.degree. C. for short periods of time without denaturing, and retains 85% of its fluorescence when heated to 80.degree. C. for several minutes. The invention also provides a method for generating stability-enhanced variants of a protein, including but not limited to fluorescent proteins.

Thermostable fluorescent proteins (TSFPs), methods for generating these and other stability-enhanced proteins, polynucleotides encoding such proteins, and assays and method for using the TSFPs and TSFP-encoding nucleic acid molecules are provided. The TSFPs of the invention show extremely enhanced levels of stability and thermotolerance. In one case, for example, a TSFP of the invention is so stable it can be heated to 99.degree. C. for short periods of time without denaturing, and retains 85% of its fluorescence when heated to 80.degree. C. for several minutes. The invention also provides a method for generating stability-enhanced variants of a protein, including but not limited to fluorescent proteins.

A rapidly illuminating fluorescent lamp 1,200 mm long and 32.5 mm in diameter with an interior conducting strip which is compatible with conventional fixtures and ballasts is described. The fluorescent lamp is composed of a linear glass tube, electrodes sealed at both ends, mercury and raregas sealed in the glass tube, a fluorescent substance clad on the inner walls of the glass tube, and a clad conducting strip extending the entire length of the glass tube in the axial direction on the inner surface of the tube.

Anomalous decrease in effective damping parameter αeff in sputtered Ni81Fe19 (Py) thin films in contact with a very thin β-Ta layer without necessitating the flow of DC-current is observed. This reduction in αeff, which is also referred to as anti-damping effect, is found to be critically dependent on the thickness of β-Ta layer; αeff being highest, i.e., 0.0093 ± 0.0003 for bare Ni81Fe19(18 nm)/SiO2/Si compared to the smallest value of 0.0077 ± 0.0001 for β-Ta(6 nm)/Py(18 nm)/SiO2/Si. This anomalous anti-damping effect is understood in terms of interfacial Rashba effect associated with the formation of a thin protective Ta2O5 barrier layer and also the spin pumping induced non-equilibrium diffusive spin-accumulation effect in β-Ta layer near the Ta/Py interface which induces additional spin orbit torque (SOT) on the moments in Py leading to reduction in αeff. The fitting of αeff (tTa) revealed an anomalousnegative interfacial spin mixing conductance, g(↑↓) = -1.13 ± .05 × 10(18) m(-2) and spin diffusion length, λSD = 2.47 ± 0.47 nm. The increase in αeff observed above tTa = 6 nm is attributed to the weakening of SOT at higher tTa. The study highlights the potential of employing β-Ta based nanostructures in developing low power spintronic devices having tunable as well as low value of α. PMID:26782952

Anomalous decrease in effective damping parameter αeff in sputtered Ni81Fe19 (Py) thin films in contact with a very thin β-Ta layer without necessitating the flow of DC-current is observed. This reduction in αeff, which is also referred to as anti-damping effect, is found to be critically dependent on the thickness of β-Ta layer; αeff being highest, i.e., 0.0093 ± 0.0003 for bare Ni81Fe19(18 nm)/SiO2/Si compared to the smallest value of 0.0077 ± 0.0001 for β-Ta(6 nm)/Py(18 nm)/SiO2/Si. This anomalous anti-damping effect is understood in terms of interfacial Rashba effect associated with the formation of a thin protective Ta2O5 barrier layer and also the spin pumping induced non-equilibrium diffusive spin-accumulation effect in β-Ta layer near the Ta/Py interface which induces additional spin orbit torque (SOT) on the moments in Py leading to reduction in . The fitting of (tTa) revealed an anomalousnegative interfacial spin mixing conductance, and spin diffusion length,. The increase in αeff observed above tTa = 6 nm is attributed to the weakening of SOT at higher tTa. The study highlights the potential of employing β-Ta based nanostructures in developing low power spintronic devices having tunable as well as low value of α.

We use singular vectors of the whitened cross-covariance matrix of two hyper-spectral images and the Golub-Kahan permutations in order to obtain equivalent tridiagonal representations of the coefficient matrices for a family of covariance-based quadratic Anomalous Change Detection (ACD) algorithms. Due to the nature of the problem these tridiagonal matrices have block-diagonal structure, which we exploit to derive analytical expressions for the eigenvalues of the coefficient matrices in terms of the singular values of the whitened cross-covariance matrix. The block-diagonal structure of the matrices of the RX, Chronochrome, symmetrized Chronochrome, Whitened Total Least Squares, Hyperbolic and Subpixel Hyperbolic Anomalous Change Detectors are revealed by the white singular value decomposition and Golub-Kahan transformations. Similarities and differences in the properties of these change detectors are illuminated by their eigenvalue spectra. We presented a methodology that provides the eigenvalue spectrum for a wide range of quadratic anomalous change detectors. Table I summarizes these results, and Fig. I illustrates them. Although their eigenvalues differ, we find that RX, HACD, Subpixel HACD, symmetrized Chronochrome, and WTLSQ share the same eigenvectors. The eigen vectors for the two variants of Chronochrome defined in (18) are different, and are different from each other, even though they share many (but not all, unless d{sub x} = d{sub y}) eigenvalues. We demonstrated that it is sufficient to compute SVD of the whitened cross covariance matrix of the data in order to almost immediately obtain highly structured sparse matrices (and their eigenvalue spectra) of the coefficient matrices of these ACD algorithms in the white SVD-transformed coordinates. Converting to the original non-white coordinates, these eigenvalues will be modified in magnitude but not in sign. That is, the number of positive, zero-valued, and negative eigenvalues will be conserved.

Anomalous decrease in effective damping parameter αeff in sputtered Ni81Fe19 (Py) thin films in contact with a very thin β-Ta layer without necessitating the flow of DC-current is observed. This reduction in αeff, which is also referred to as anti-damping effect, is found to be critically dependent on the thickness of β-Ta layer; αeff being highest, i.e., 0.0093 ± 0.0003 for bare Ni81Fe19(18 nm)/SiO2/Si compared to the smallest value of 0.0077 ± 0.0001 for β-Ta(6 nm)/Py(18 nm)/SiO2/Si. This anomalous anti-damping effect is understood in terms of interfacial Rashba effect associated with the formation of a thin protective Ta2O5 barrier layer and also the spin pumping induced non-equilibrium diffusive spin-accumulation effect in β-Ta layer near the Ta/Py interface which induces additional spin orbit torque (SOT) on the moments in Py leading to reduction in . The fitting of (tTa) revealed an anomalousnegative interfacial spin mixing conductance, and spin diffusion length,. The increase in αeff observed above tTa = 6 nm is attributed to the weakening of SOT at higher tTa. The study highlights the potential of employing β-Ta based nanostructures in developing low power spintronic devices having tunable as well as low value of α. PMID:26782952

Fluctuations are an inherent part of single molecule or few particle biophysical data sets. Traditionally, ``noise'' fluctuations have been viewed as a nuisance, to be eliminated or minimized. Here we look on how statistical inference methods - that take explicit advantage of fluctuations - have allowed us to draw an unexpected picture of single molecule diffusional dynamics. Our focus is on the diffusion of proteins probed using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). First, we discuss how - in collaboration with the Bustamante and Marqusee labs at UC Berkeley - we determined using FCS data that individual enzymes are perturbed by self-generated catalytic heat (Riedel et al, Nature, 2014). Using the tools of inference, we found how distributions of enzyme diffusion coefficients shift in the presence of substrate revealing that enzymes performing highly exothermic reactions dissipate heat by transiently accelerating their center of mass following a catalytic reaction. Next, when molecules diffuse in the cell nucleus they often appear to diffuse anomalously. We analyze FCS data - in collaboration with Rich Day at the IU Med School - to propose a simple model for transcription factor binding-unbinding in the nucleus to show that it may give rise to apparent anomalous diffusion. Here inference methods extract entire binding affinity distributions for the diffusing transcription factors, allowing us to precisely characterize their interactions with different components of the nuclear environment. From this analysis, we draw key mechanistic insight that goes beyond what is possible by simply fitting data to ``anomalous diffusion'' models.

A secondary electrochemical cell and a negative electrode composition for use therewith comprising a positive electrode containing an active material of a chalcogen or a transiton metal chalcogenide, a negative electrode containing a lithium-aluminum alloy and an amount of a ternary alloy sufficient to provide at least about 5 percent overcharge capacity relative to a negative electrode solely of the lithium-aluminum alloy, the ternary alloy comprising lithium, aluminum, and iron or cobalt, and an electrolyte containing lithium ions in contact with both of the positive and the negative electrodes. The ternary alloy is present in the electrode in the range of from about 5 percent to about 50 percent by weight of the electrode composition and may include lithium-aluminum-nickel alloy in combination with either the ternary iron or cobalt alloys. A plurality of series connected cells having overcharge capacity can be equalized on the discharge side without expensive electrical equipment.

Describes LOGO's turtle graphics capabilities based on a sixth-grade classroom's activities with negative numbers and Logo programming. A sidebar explains LOGO and offers suggestions to teachers for using LOGO effectively. (LRW)

We review some of the recent progress in the studies of alkaline-earth, negative ions. Computations of autodetachment rates, electron affinities and transition wavelengths are discussed and some new and improved results are given.

We review some of the recent progress in the studies of alkaline-earth, negative ions. Computations of autodetachment rates, electron affinities and transition wavelengths are discussed and some new and improved results are given.

Many medical terms have negative meaning expressed by means of a negative prefix or suffix. The most frequently used negative prefixes are: a-, dis-, in-, non-, and un-. There is only one negative suffix -less (Ref. 15). PMID:17125069

The detection of an excess of emission at microwave frequencies with respect to the predicted free-free emission has been reported for several Galactic H ii regions. Here, we investigate the case of RCW 49, for which the Cosmic Background Imager tentatively (˜3σ) detected Anomalous Microwave Emission (AME) at 31 GHz on angular scales of 7‧. Using the Australia Telescope Compact Array, we carried out a multi-frequency (5, 19, and 34 GHz) continuum study of the region, complemented by observations of the H109α radio recombination line. The analysis shows that: (1) the spatial correlation between the microwave and IR emission persists on angular scales from 3.‧4 to 0.″4, although the degree of the correlation slightly decreases at higher frequencies and on smaller angular scales; (2) the spectral indices between 1.4 and 5 GHz are globally in agreement with optically thin free-free emission, however, ˜30% of these are positive and much greater than -0.1, consistent with a stellar wind scenario; and (3) no major evidence for inverted free-free radiation is found, indicating that this is likely not the cause of the Anomalous Emission in RCW 49. Although our results cannot rule out the spinning dust hypothesis to explain the tentative detection of AME in RCW 49, they emphasize the complexity of astronomical sources that are very well known and studied, such as H ii regions, and suggest that, at least in these objects, the reported excess of emission might be ascribed to alternative mechanisms such as stellar winds and shocks.

Differential models for hydrodynamic, passive-scalar and wave turbulence given by nonlinear first- and second-order evolution equations for the energy spectrum in the k-space were analysed. Both types of models predict formation an anomalous transient power-law spectra. The second-order models were analysed in terms of self-similar solutions of the second kind, and a phenomenological formula for the anomalous spectrum exponent was constructed using numerics for a broad range of parameters covering all known physical examples. The first-order models were examined analytically, including finding an analytical prediction for the anomalous exponent of the transient spectrum and description of formation of the Kolmogorov-type spectrum as a reflection wave from the dissipative scale back into the inertial range. The latter behaviour was linked to pre-shock/shock singularities similar to the ones arising in the Burgers equation. Existence of the transient anomalous scaling and the reflection-wave scenario are argued to be a robust feature common to the finite-capacity turbulence systems. The anomalous exponent is independent of the initial conditions but varies for for different models of the same physical system.

Measurements of radial and latitudinal gradients of galactic cosmic rays and anomalous components now cover radii from 0.3 to 40 AU from the sun and latitudes up to 30 deg above the ecliptic plane for particle energies from approx. 10 MeV/n up to relativistic energies. The most accurate measurements cover the period 1972 through 1987, which includes more than one full 11 year cycle of solar activity. Radial gradients for glactic cosmic rays of all energies and species are small (similar to less than 10 percent AU), and variable in time, reaching a minimum of near 0 percent AU out to 30 AU for some species at solar maximum. Gradients for anomalous components are larger, of order 15 percent AU, may show similar time variability, and are relatively independent of particle species and energy. For the period 1985 through 1986 the intensity decreased away from the ecliptic for all species and energies. For galactic cosmic rays, the measured gradients are approx. 0.5 percent/degree near 20 AU, while for anomalous components the gradients are larger, ranging from 3 to 6 percent/degree. Comparison with a similar measurement for anomalous helium in 1975 through 1976 suggests that the latitude gradients for anomalous components have changed sign between 1975 and 1985. For galactic cosmic rays, the available evidence suggests no change in sign of the latitudinal gradient for relativistic particles.

The classical Lagrangian model of Fickian dispersion/diffusion is given by Brownian motion of fluid particles representing contaminant migration. Brownian motion is defined via three conceptual assumptions about the distribution of (spatial) displacements: 1. The displacements are independent. 2. The displacements are stationary. 3. The displacements are normally distributed. Anomalous dispersion/diffusion occurs when one or more of these assumptions fails. Two of the hallmarks of anomalous dispersion/diffusion are nonlinear mean square displacement (often modeled as a power-law) and heavy tails. While these calling cards are important indicators of anomalous behavior, its origin is in the violation of any of the three assumptions. Anomalous behavior associated with such as violation has been observed in a variety of application areas including surface and subsurface hydrology. Anomalous dispersion/diffusion can create significant problems in efforts to characterize contaminant transport and design remediation strategies that protect groundwater resources. The impact at varied spatial and temporal scales of relaxing these assumptions in concert is not well understood. In order to gain a better understanding, a global sensitivity analysis (based on Sobol's method) of predicted contaminant concentrations at a number of spatial and temporal scales is performed with respect to the relaxation of these three assumptions. That is, the sensitivity of contaminant concentration (particle density) to variations in the degree to which the displacements are correlated, nonstationary, and non-normal is computed. The analyses are performed using the code MADS (Model Analyses for Decision Support; http://mads.lanl.gov).

A fluorescence radiation converter is described which includes a substantially undoped optically transparent substrate and a waveshifter coating deposited on at least one portion of the substrate for absorption of radiation and conversion of fluorescent radiation. The coating is formed to substantially 1000 g/liter of a solvent, 70 to 200 g/liter of an organic polymer, and 0.2 to 25 g/liter of at least one organic fluorescent dye. The incoming incident radiation impinges on the coating. Radiation is absorbed by the fluorescent dye and is re-emitted as a longer wavelength radiation. Radiation is trapped within the substrate and is totally internally reflected by the boundary surface. Emitted radiation leaves the substrate ends to be detected.

The present invention relates to organic light emitting devices (OLEDs), and more specifically to OLEDS that emit light using a combination of fluorescent emitters and phosphorescent emitters for the efficient utilization of all of the electrically generated excitons.

The present invention relates to organic light emitting devices (OLEDs), and more specifically to OLEDS that emit light using a combination of fluorescent emitters and phosphorescent emitters for the efficient utilization of all of the electrically generated excitons.

The fluorescent eye test is useful in determining if there is a scratch or other problem with the surface ... has thoroughly covered the eye a cobalt blue light is then directed on the eye. The light ...

Several existing and planned experiments estimate the energies of ultra-high energy cosmic rays from air showers using the atmospheric fluorescence from these showers. Accurate knowledge of the conversion from atmospheric fluorescence to energy loss by ionizing particles in the atmosphere is key to this technique. In this paper we discuss a small balloon-borne instrument to make the first in situ measurements versus altitude of the atmospheric fluorescence yield. The instrument can also be used in the lab to investigate the dependence of the fluorescence yield in air on temperature, pressure and the concentrations of other gases that present in the atmosphere. The results can be used to explore environmental effects on and improve the accuracy of cosmic ray energy measurements for existing ground-based experiments and future space-based experiments.

By covalently modifying a subpopulation, less than or equal to 1%, of a macromolecule with a fluorescent probe, the labeled material will add to a growing crystal as a microheterogeneous growth unit. Labeling procedures can be readily incorporated into the final stages of purification, and tests with model proteins have shown that labeling u to 5 percent of the protein molecules does not affect the X-ray data quality obtained . The presence of the trace fluorescent label gives a number of advantages. Since the label is covalently attached to the protein molecules, it "tracks" the protein s response to the crystallization conditions. The covalently attached probe will concentrate in the crystal relative to the solution, and under fluorescent illumination crystals show up as bright objects against a darker background. Non-protein structures, such as salt crystals, do not show up under fluorescent illumination. Crystals have the highest protein concentration and are readily observed against less bright precipitated phases, which under white light illumination may obscure the crystals. Automated image analysis to find crystals should be greatly facilitated, without having to first define crystallization drop boundaries as the protein or protein structures is all that shows up. Fluorescence intensity is a faster search parameter, whether visually or by automated methods, than looking for crystalline features. Preliminary tests, using model proteins, indicates that we can use high fluorescence intensity regions, in the absence of clear crystalline features or "hits", as a means for determining potential lead conditions. A working hypothesis is that more rapid amorphous precipitation kinetics may overwhelm and trap more slowly formed ordered assemblies, which subsequently show up as regions of brighter fluorescence intensity. Experiments are now being carried out to test this approach using a wider range, of proteins. The trace fluorescently labeled crystals will also

This paper describes a fluorescence endoscopic video system intended for the diagnosis of diseases of the internal organs. The system operates on the basis of two-channel recording of the video fluxes from a fluorescence channel and a reflected-light channel by means of a high-sensitivity monochrome television camera and a color camera, respectively. Examples are given of the application of the device in gastroenterology.

Epi-fluorescence microscopy is available in most life sciences research laboratories, and when optimized can be a central laboratory tool. In this chapter, the epi-fluorescence light path is introduced and the various components are discussed in detail. Recommendations are made for incident lamp light sources, excitation and emission filters, dichroic mirrors, objective lenses, and charge-coupled device (CCD) cameras in order to obtain the most sensitive epi-fluorescence microscope. The even illumination of metal-halide lamps combined with new “hard” coated filters and mirrors, a high resolution monochrome CCD camera, and a high NA objective lens are all recommended for high resolution and high sensitivity fluorescence imaging. Recommendations are also made for multicolor imaging with the use of monochrome cameras, motorized filter turrets, individual filter cubes, and corresponding dyes that are the best choice for sensitive, high resolution multicolor imaging. Images should be collected using Nyquist sampling and should be corrected for background intensity contributions and nonuniform illumination across the field of view. Photostable fluorescent probes and proteins that absorb a lot of light (i.e., high extinction co-efficients) and generate a lot of fluorescence signal (i.e., high quantum yields) are optimal. A neuronal immune-fluorescence labeling protocol is also presented. Finally, in order to maximize the utility of sensitive wide-field microscopes and generate the highest resolution images with high signal-to-noise, advice for combining wide-field epi-fluorescence imaging with restorative image deconvolution is presented. PMID:23026996

The term psi denotes anomalous processes of information or energy transfer that are currently unexplained in terms of known physical or biological mechanisms. Two variants of psi are precognition (conscious cognitive awareness) and premonition (affective apprehension) of a future event that could not otherwise be anticipated through any known inferential process. Precognition and premonition are themselves special cases of a more general phenomenon: the anomalous retroactive influence of some future event on an individual's current responses, whether those responses are conscious or nonconscious, cognitive or affective. This article reports 9 experiments, involving more than 1,000 participants, that test for retroactive influence by "time-reversing" well-established psychological effects so that the individual's responses are obtained before the putatively causal stimulus events occur. Data are presented for 4 time-reversed effects: precognitive approach to erotic stimuli and precognitive avoidance of negative stimuli; retroactive priming; retroactive habituation; and retroactive facilitation of recall. The mean effect size (d) in psi performance across all 9 experiments was 0.22, and all but one of the experiments yielded statistically significant results. The individual-difference variable of stimulus seeking, a component of extraversion, was significantly correlated with psi performance in 5 of the experiments, with participants who scored above the midpoint on a scale of stimulus seeking achieving a mean effect size of 0.43. Skepticism about psi, issues of replication, and theories of psi are also discussed. PMID:21280961

Light transmission through nematic liquid crystal (NLC) cells with a planar alignment and various boundary conditions has been studied as a function of the bias voltage in the regimes of maximum transmittance and complete extinction. The phenomenon of anomalous light leakage in the regime of complete extinction has been observed in the NLC sells with alignment layers of amorphous hydrogenated carbon (a-C:H) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), in which an anisotropy was induced by rubbing the electrode surface (for a-C:H) and the alignment layer (for PVA). The anomalous transmission is caused by the deformation of nematic molecules, which are situated near the surface, in the direction perpendicular to the direction of rubbing. The magnitude of anomalous transmission increases with the bias voltage. This behavior is explained by the anisotropy of the surface anchoring energy of nematic molecules at the interface.

In this paper we use layer construction method to construct an experimentally feasible model to realize one type of anomalous Weyl superfluids (WS) in the context of cold fermionic gases. This exotic phase still characterizes the Weyl points in the bulk but completely different Majorana Fermi arc surface state (MFASS) on the boundaries. In contrast to conventional WS, where MFASS only connects the projection of Weyl points, new MFASS continuously stretches to the border of surface Brillouin zone. We self-consistently determine the phase diagram of model at the mean-field level to claim the achievement of anomalous WS. In addition, inversion symmetry and band inversion in this model are analyzed in detail to provide unique feature of identifying anomalous WS experimentally by momentum-resolved radio-frequency spectroscopy.

We investigate the issue of stability of anomalous matter at finite fermionic density using a two-dimensional toy model. In particular, we pay careful attention to the issue of gauge invariance. We find that, contrary to some recent claims, the effective free energy (obtained by integrating out the fermions) cannot be obtained by the simple inclusion of a Chern-Simons term multiplying the fermionic chemical potential. We obtain some conditions for stability of anomalous charges when some finite density of conserved charge is present as well as for the neutral case. We also show that, under reasonable conditions, no sphaleron-type solution can exist in the toy model unless the anomalous charge density vanishes. We argue that this could be the case for more realistic models as well.

This paper deals with the formulation of microinstability-based thermal transport coefficients (chi/sub j/) for the purpose of modelling anomalous energy confinement properties in tokamak plasmas. Attention is primarily focused on ohmically heated discharges and the associated anomalous electron thermal transport. An appropriate expression for chi/sub e/ is developed which is consistent with reasonable global constraints on the current and electron temperature profiles as well as with the key properties of the kinetic instabilities most likely to be present. Comparisons of confinement scaling trends predicted by this model with the empirical ohmic data base indicate quite favorable agreement. The subject of anomalous ion thermal transport and its implications for high density ohmic discharges and for auxiliary-heated plasmas is also addressed.

For an anomalous fluid carrying dissipationless chiral magnetic and/or vortical currents we show that there is a frame in which a stationary obstacle experiences no drag, but energy and charge currents do not vanish, resembling superfluidity. Unlike ordinary superfluid flow, the anomalous chiral currents can transport entropy in this frame. Moreover, we show that the second law of thermodynamics completely determines the amounts of these anomalous nondissipative currents in the “no-drag frame” as polynomials in temperature and chemical potential with known anomaly coefficients. These general results are illustrated and confirmed by a calculation in the chiral kinetic theory and inmore » the quark-gluon plasma at high temperature.« less

We report a fetal case of double outlet right ventricle, mitral atresia, and intact atrial septum. Although the pulmonary veins were connected to the left atrium, pulmonary venous blood drained into the right superior vena cava via the stenotic levoatriocardinal vein (LACV), which resulted in a circulation resembling total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC) with pulmonary venous obstruction. Since the pulmonary veins were connected to both the stenotic LACV and the "dead-end" left atrium, the pulmonary venous flow had a to-and-fro pattern along with atrial relaxation and contraction. Postnatal echocardiography and computed tomography confirmed the diagnosis of normally connected but anomalously draining pulmonary veins via the LACV. Surgical creation of an atrial septal defect on the day of birth successfully relieved pulmonary venous obstruction. Normally connected but anomalously draining pulmonary veins via the LACV should be considered for TAPVC differential diagnosis in fetuses with a left-side heart obstruction. PMID:27460400

We show that for an anomalous fluid carrying dissipationless chiral magnetic and/or vortical currents there is a frame in which a stationary obstacle experiences no drag, but energy and charge currents do not vanish, resembling superfluidity. However, unlike ordinary superfluid flow, the anomalous chiral currents can transport entropy in this frame. We show that the second law of thermodynamics completely determines the amounts of these anomalous nondissipative currents in the "no-drag frame" as polynomials in temperature and chemical potential with known anomaly coefficients. These general results are illustrated and confirmed by a calculation in the chiral kinetic theory and in the quark-gluon plasma at high temperature. PMID:27058072

Anomalous single scatter events in XENON100 are events that have only one scintillation pulse (S1) and one ionization pulse (S2), but are multiple scatters in nature. Only one scatter takes place inside the detector's charge and light sensitive volume, resulting in a S2/S1 ratio that is lower than that of true single scatter events and typical of that expected from a WIMP interaction. The identification and suppression of these anomalous events is therefore essential for a sensitive dark matter search. I present results from a Monte Carlo (MC) study that was carried out to estimate the expected number of anomalous single scatter events in the XENON100 WIMP search data. The MC was validated with a comparison with Co-60 gamma-calibration data. We gratefully acknowledge support from NSF, DOE, SNF, the Volkswagen Foundation, FCT, and STCSM. We are grateful to the LNGS for hosting and supporting the XENON program.

The most common asteroidal igneous meteorites are eucrite-type mafic achondrites - basalts and gabbros composed of ferroan pigeonite, ferroan augite, calcic plagioclase, silica, ilmenite, troilite, Ca-phosphate, chromite and Fe-metal. These rocks are thought to have formed on a single asteroid along with howardites and diogenites. However, high precision O-isotopic analyses have shown that some mafic achondrites have small, well-resolved, non-mass-dependent differences that have been interpreted as indicating derivation from different asteroids. Some of these O-anomalous mafic achondrites also have anomalous petrologic characteristics, strengthening the case that they hail from distinct parent asteroids. We present the results of bulk compositional studies of a suite of normal and anomalous eucrite-type basalts and cumulate gabbros.

Several experimental efforts such as material investigation and structure improvement have been made recently to find a large anomalous Nernst effect in ferromagnetic metals. Here, we develop a theory of spin transport driven by the anomalous Nernst effect in a diffusive ferromagnetic/nonmagnetic multilayer. Starting from a phenomenological formula of a spin-dependent electric current, the theoretical formulas of electric voltage and spin torque generated by the anomalous Nernst effect are derived. The magnitude of the electric voltage generated from the spin current via the inverse spin Hall effect is on the order of 0.1 µV for currently available experimental parameter values. The temperature gradient necessary to switch the magnetization is quite larger than the typical experimental value. The separation of the contributions of the Seebeck and transverse spin Seebeck effects is also discussed.

We measure the ordinary and the anomalous Hall effect in a set of yttrium iron garnet|platinum (YIG|Pt) bilayers via magnetization orientation dependent magnetoresistance experiments. Our data show that the presence of the ferrimagnetic insulator YIG leads to an anomalous Hall effect like voltage in Pt, which is sensitive to both Pt thickness and temperature. Interpretation of the experimental findings in terms of the spin Hall anomalous Hall effect indicates that the imaginary part of the spin mixing conductance G{sub i} plays a crucial role in YIG|Pt bilayers. In particular, our data suggest a sign change in G{sub i} between 10 K and 300 K. Additionally, we report a higher order Hall effect contribution, which appears in thin Pt films on YIG at low temperatures.

The results of a detailed investigation of electrical resistivity, ρ(T) and transverse magnetoresistance (MR) in nanocrystalline Gd samples with an average grain size d = 12 nm and 18 nm reveal the following. Besides a major contribution to the residual resistivity, ρr(0), arising from the scattering of conduction electrons from grain surfaces/interfaces/boundaries (which increases drastically as the average grain size decreases, as expected), coherent electron-magnon scattering makes a small contribution to ρr(0), which gets progressively suppressed as the applied magnetic field (H) increases in strength. At low temperatures (T ≲ 40 K) and fields (H = 0 and H = 5 kOe), ρH(T) varies as T3/2 with a change in slope at T+ ≃ 16.5 K. As the field increases beyond 5 kOe, the T3/2 variation of ρH(T) at low temperatures (T ≲ 40 K) changes over to the T2 variation and a slight change in the slope dρH/dT2 at T+(H) disappears at H ⩾ 20 kOe. The electron-electron scattering (Fermi liquid) contribution to the T2 term, if present, is completely swamped by the coherent electron-magnon scattering contribution. As a function of temperature, (negative) MR goes through a dip at a temperature Tmin ≃ T+, which increases with H as H2/3. MR at Tmin also increases in magnitude with H and attains a value as large as ˜15% (17%) for d = 12 nm (18 nm) at H = 90 kOe. This value is roughly five times greater than that reported earlier for crystalline Gd at Tmin ≃ 100 K. Unusually large MR results from an anomalous softening of magnon modes at T ≃ Tmin ≈ 20 K. In the light of our previous magnetization and specific heat results, we show that all the above observations, including the H2/3 dependence of Tmin (with Tmin(H) identified as the Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) transition temperature, TBEC(H)), are the manifestations of the BEC of magnons at temperatures T ⩽ TBEC. Contrasted with crystalline Gd, which behaves as a three-dimensional (3D) pure uniaxial dipolar

We have studied the temperature dependence of the infrared spectra of acetanilide (ACN), tryptophan-(alanine) 15, and tyrosine-(alanine) 15. No sidebands of the amide-I vibration were observed in the polypeptides, but two anomalous sidebands of the NH stretch with a similar temperature dependence as that of the anomalous amide-I vibrational mode at 1650 cm -1 of crystalline ACN were detected. Fermi resonance combined with the appearance of a red-shifted sideband of NH stretch through coupling to lattice modes seems to explain this band structure. Observations are indicative of excitons that may occur in polypeptides as well as in single crystals of ACN.

The operator solution of the anomalous chiral Schwinger model is discussed on the basis of the general principles of Wightman field theory. Some basic structural properties of the model are analyzed taking a careful control on the Hilbert space associated with the Wightman functions. The isomorphism between gauge noninvariant and gauge invariant descriptions of the anomalous theory is established in terms of the corresponding field algebras. We show that (i) the {Theta}-vacuum representation and (ii) the suggested equivalence of vector Schwinger model and chiral Schwinger model cannot be established in terms of the intrinsic field algebra. {copyright} 1997 Academic Press, Inc.

We observe the appearance of a phonon near the lock-in temperature in orthorhombic REMnO{sub 3} (RE denotes rare earth) (RE: Lu and Ho) and anomalous phonon hardening in orthorhombic LuMnO{sub 3}. The anomalous phonon occurs at the onset of spontaneous polarization. No such changes were found in incommensurate orthorhombic DyMnO{sub 3}. These observations directly reveal different electric polarization mechanisms in the E-type and incommensurate-type orthorhombic REMnO{sub 3}.

A survey is of the long term temporal variations of 6.6 to 12 MeV/nucleon anomalous oxygen at 1 AU covering the period 1977 to 1984. This time interval included the recent solar maximum, with the recovery at neutron monitor energies beginning in 1982. During this time interval, 6.6 to 12 MeV/nucleon 0 fluxes decreased by at least a factor of 50, and indeed remained below the instrumental detection threshold after 1979. By late 1984, neutron monitors had recovered to roughly 1979 levels from the 1982 solar maximum, and anomalous O still remained below the detection threshold.

Skew scattering on rare impurity configurations is shown to dominate the anomalous Hall effect in a 2D Rashba ferromagnet. The mechanism originates in scattering on rare impurity pairs separated by distances of the order of the Fermi wavelength. The corresponding theoretical description goes beyond the conventional noncrossing approximation. The mechanism provides the only contribution to the anomalous Hall conductivity in the most relevant metallic regime and strongly modifies previously obtained results for lower energies in the leading order with respect to impurity strength. PMID:27494487

Understanding the rate of motion and pattern of dispersion in fluvial sediment transport is essential for a variety of applications, including predicting the fate and transport of solid-phase contaminants and modeling the cosmogenic-nuclide inheritance of water-borne sediment. In order to create a probabilistic model of sediment particle motion, it is necessary to characterize the statistical properties of fluvial sediment dispersion. In general, two modes of behavior have been observed in advective-diffusive transport systems: normal and anomalous dispersion. Normal dispersion is characterized by a well-defined mean position and spatial variance and the time evolution of particle concentration is described by a simple advection-diffusion equation. In contrast, a transport system that exhibits anomalous dispersion will tend to have a heavy-tailed spatial distribution, a mean position that is different from the peak concentration, and a large variance. The fundamental difference lies in the probability distribution of individual particle velocities. When the distribution is sufficiently heavy-tailed, the resulting dispersion pattern will be anomalous. Anomalous dispersion has been observed in geophysical systems ranging from turbulent flow to transport in heterogeneous porous media. Several lines of evidence from the sediment transport literature suggest that fluvial sediment may undergo anomalous dispersion. Tracer experiments show a preference for right-skewed travel distance distributions, a characteristic of anomalous diffusion. Studies suggest that large inputs of sediment to rivers (such as a landslide) tend to disperse in place rather than translate downstream. In addition, the fact that sediment grains can become trapped in flood plains and bars for long periods of time and then move long distances in rare, short duration events such as floods suggests a potential for anomalous dispersion due to a broad distribution of particle residence times. We develop a

Low-energy electron diffraction was used to study the annealing effects of 1 ML Ag on the ultra-thin-film Co/Pt (111). The behavior of the specular beam intensity versus temperature is anomalous. Besides the normal Debye-Waller effect, a bend occurs at 550 K, and a dramatic increase occurs at a higher temperature. A corresponding study by Auger electron spectroscopy and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy indicates that the bend results from the Co inter-diffusion. The anomalous increase indicates that a more stable state forms at a higher temperature. The Co coverage plays an important role in determining the turning temperature. Possible mechanisms are discussed.

Anomalous pulmonary venous return represents a rare congenital anomaly with wide anatomic and physiologic variability. We report a case of a newborn with a rare form of total infracardiac anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC). The pulmonary veins draining both lungs formed two vertical veins, which joined to a common pulmonary trunk below the diaphragm. This venous channel connected to the portal vein through the esophageal hiatus. The diagnosis was suggested by color Doppler sonography and confirmed by intravenous digital subtraction angiography, which allowed definition of the anatomy.

Negative pressure wound therapy has become an increasingly important part of wound management. Over the last decade, numerous uses for this method of wound management have been reported, ranging from acute and chronic wounds, to closure of open sternal and abdominal wounds, to assistance with skin grafts. The biophysics behind the success of this treatment largely have focused on increased wound blood flow, increased granulation tissue formation, decreased bacterial counts, and stimulation of wound healing pathways through shear stress mechanisms. The overall success of negative pressure wound therapy has led to a multitude of clinical applications, which are discussed in this article. PMID:17967622

Ion phase space density fluctuation measurements are performed in a linearly magnetized device using Laser Induced Fluorescence(LIF). An ICP source produces an 8cm diameter plasma column that drifts in a cylindrical vessel whose diameter and length are 40 cm and 3 m, respectively. These experiments are performed using a CW singly ionized Argon plasma that is immersed in a 1kG magnetic field along the axis of the cylinder. A density of the order of 10^9 cm-3 is obtained under a regulated neutral background pressure of 2.× 10-4 torr. The electron and ion temperature are respectively 2 eV and 0.1 eV. LIF is carried out by pumping the Ar II metastable (3d^1)^2G_9/2, using a CW tunable laser centered at 611.6653 nm scanned over 6 GHz, to metastable (4p^1)F_7/2, and then detecting the 460nm photons emitted from its transition to (4s^1)^2F_5/2. This collection is made possible using two low f-umber periscopes that are directed to PMTs. Here we present measurements of the complex two-point correlation function < f(v_i_allel),z_1,ω)f(v_i_allel,z_2,ω)> as a function of the spatial separation of two LIF detection systems Δ d = z_2-z_1, the ion parallel velocity v_i_allel and the frequency ω. Preliminary results show ion particle velocity dependent phase shifts at the drift wave frequency.

Anomalously pressured gas (APG) assets, typically called ''basin-center'' gas accumulations, represent either an underdeveloped or undeveloped energy resource in the Rocky Mountain Laramide Basins (RMLB). Historically, the exploitation of these gas resources has proven to be very difficult and costly. In this topical report, an improved exploration strategy is outlined in conjunction with a more detailed description of new diagnostic techniques that more efficiently detect anomalously pressured, gas-charged domains. The ability to delineate gas-charged domains occurring below a regional velocity inversion surface allows operators to significantly reduce risk in the search for APG resources. The Wind River Basin was chosen for this demonstration because of the convergence of public data availability (i.e., thousands of mud logs and DSTs and 2400 mi of 2-D seismic lines); the evolution of new diagnostic techniques; a 175 digital sonic log suite; a regional stratigraphic framework; and corporate interest. In the exploration scheme discussed in this topical report, the basinwide gas distribution is determined in the following steps: (1) A detailed velocity model is established from sonic logs, 2-D seismic lines, and, if available, 3-D seismic data. In constructing the seismic interval velocity field, automatic picking technology using continuous, statistically-derived interval velocity selection, as well as conventional graphical interactive methodologies are utilized. (2) Next, the ideal regional velocity/depth function is removed from the observed sonic or seismic velocity/depth profile. The constructed ideal regional velocity/depth function is the velocity/depth trend resulting from the progressive burial of a rock/fluid system of constant rock/fluid composition, with all other factors remaining constant. (3) The removal of the ideal regional velocity/depth function isolates the anomalously slow velocities and allows the evaluation of (a) the regional velocity

We observe interaction-induced broadening of the two-photon 5s-18s transition in ^{87}Rb atoms trapped in a 3D optical lattice. The measured linewidth increases by nearly 2 orders of magnitude with increasing atomic density and excitation strength, with corresponding suppression of resonant scattering and enhancement of off-resonant scattering. We attribute the increased linewidth to resonant dipole-dipole interactions of 18s atoms with blackbody induced population in nearby np states. Over a range of initial atomic densities and excitation strengths, the transition width is described by a single function of the steady-state density of Rydberg atoms, and the observed resonant excitation rate corresponds to that of a two-level system with the measured, rather than natural, linewidth. The broadening mechanism observed here is likely to have negative implications for many proposals with coherently interacting Rydberg atoms. PMID:27035299

We observe interaction-induced broadening of the two-photon 5 s -18 s transition in 87Rb atoms trapped in a 3D optical lattice. The measured linewidth increases by nearly 2 orders of magnitude with increasing atomic density and excitation strength, with corresponding suppression of resonant scattering and enhancement of off-resonant scattering. We attribute the increased linewidth to resonant dipole-dipole interactions of 18 s atoms with blackbody induced population in nearby n p states. Over a range of initial atomic densities and excitation strengths, the transition width is described by a single function of the steady-state density of Rydberg atoms, and the observed resonant excitation rate corresponds to that of a two-level system with the measured, rather than natural, linewidth. The broadening mechanism observed here is likely to have negative implications for many proposals with coherently interacting Rydberg atoms.

We propose a theoretical explanation for the long-standing problem of the anomalous critical behavior of the heat capacity near the smectic-A -hexatic phase transition. Experiments find a large specific heat critical exponent α =0.5 -0.7 , which is inconsistent with a small negative value α ≈-0.01 expected for the three-dimensional X Y universality class. We show that most of the observed features can be explained by treating simultaneously fluctuations of the hexatic orientational and translational (positional) order parameters. Assuming that the translational correlation length ξt r is much larger than the hexatic correlation length ξh, we calculate the temperature dependence of the heat capacity in the critical region near the smectic-A -hexatic phase transition. Our results are in quantitative agreement with the calorimetric experimental data.

We propose a theoretical explanation for the long-standing problem of the anomalous critical behavior of the heat capacity near the smectic-A-hexatic phase transition. Experiments find a large specific heat critical exponent α=0.5-0.7, which is inconsistent with a small negative value α≈-0.01 expected for the three-dimensional XY universality class. We show that most of the observed features can be explained by treating simultaneously fluctuations of the hexatic orientational and translational (positional) order parameters. Assuming that the translational correlation length ξ_{tr} is much larger than the hexatic correlation length ξ_{h}, we calculate the temperature dependence of the heat capacity in the critical region near the smectic-A-hexatic phase transition. Our results are in quantitative agreement with the calorimetric experimental data. PMID:27415334

We present the key results from a comprehensive study of the refraction and focusing properties of a two-dimensional dodecagonal photonic “quasicrystal” (PQC), which was carried out via both full-wave numerical simulations and microwave measurements on a slab made of alumina rods inserted in a parallel-plate waveguide. We observe an anomalous refraction and focusing in several frequency regions, which confirm some recently published results. However, our interpretation, which is based on numerical and experimental evidence, substantially differs from the one in terms of “effective negative refractive index” that was originally proposed. Instead, our study highlights the critical role played by short-range interactions associated with local order and symmetry.

Anomalous hollow electron beams have been recently observed in the Duke storage ring. With a single bunch beam in a lattice with a negative chromaticity, a hollow beam can be created. This beam consists of a solid core beam inside and a large ring beam outside. In this paper, we report the measurements of the hollow beam phenomenon, including its distinct image pattern and spectrum signature, and its evolution with time. By capturing the post-instability bursting beam, the hollow beam is a unique model system for studying transverse instabilities, in particular, the interplay of the wakefield and lattice nonlinearity. The hollow beam can also be used as a tool to study linear and nonlinear particle dynamics in the storage ring.

Using molecular-dynamics simulations and the force-constant model, we have studied the Raman-active tangential modes (TMs) of a (10,0) single-wall carbon nanotube under hydrostatic pressure. With increasing pressure, the atomic motions in the three TMs present obvious diversities. The pressure derivative of E1g , A1g , and E2g mode frequencies shows an increased value (dωE1g/dP>0) , a constant value (dωA1g/dP˜0) , and a negative value (dωE2g/dP<0) above 5.3GPa , respectively. The intrinsic characteristics of TMs consumedly help us understand the essence of the experimental T band of CNT. The anomalous pressure behavior of the TM frequencies may originate from the tube symmetry alteration from D10h to D2h then to C2h .

The random walk of spherical living cells on a silicon dioxide glassy substrate was studied experimentally and numerically. This random walk trajectory exhibited erratic dancing, which seemingly obeyed anomalous diffusion (i.e., Lévy-like walk) rather than normal diffusion. Moreover, the angular distribution (−π to π) of the cells' trajectory followed a “U-shaped pattern” in comparison to the uniform distribution seen in the movements of negatively charged polystyrene microspheres. These effects could be attributable to the homeostasis-driven structural resilient character of cells and physical interactions derived from temporarily retained nonspecific binding due to weak forces between the cells and substrates. Our results provide new insights into the stochastic behavior of mesoscopic biological particles with respect to structural properties and physical interactions. PMID:25610514

A fundamental property of human memory is that repetition enhances memory. Peterson and Mulligan (2012) recently documented a surprising "negative repetition effect," in which participants who studied a list of cue-target pairs twice recalled fewer targets than a group who studied the pairs only once. Words within a pair rhymed, and…

Five years ago, Goldberg claimed that negative symptoms of schizophrenia do respond to neuroleptics. This apparent discovery is, in fact, a very common way of thinking for European schools of psychiatry, specially the French one guided by Delay and Deniker. Initially focused on reserpine and some alerting phenothiazines such as thioproperazine, this opinion has been extended to benzamides in the 1970s. The analysis of the publications devoted to this point indicates that several drugs are actually considered as potent disinhibitors (i.e. active on negative symptoms of schizophrenia): Phenothiazines: As shown in the controlled studies by Itil (1971), Poirier-Littré (1988), fluphenazine and pipotiazine improve the BPRS anergia factor and the SANS score. Butyrophenones: The first description of the "imipramine like" effect of trifluperidol by Janssen (1959) initiated the studies by Gallant (1960), Fox (1963). They compared trifluperidol at low doses versus haloperidol and chlorpromazine at medium and high doses, BPRS anergia factor improved only at low doses. Diphenylbutylpiperidines (DPBP): Meltzer's review (1986) concluded to the efficacy of such drugs on negative symptoms appearing as a specific biochemical relationship effect. A definite analysis about doses leads to a very different interpretation: DPBP low doses and only low doses improved negative symptoms as much as some low doses of phenothiazines. On the opposite, DPBP, phenothiazines and butyrophenones high doses are inefficient.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) PMID:1683624

Aptamers are single-stranded nucleic acid probes that can be evolved to have high specificity and affinity for different targets. These targets include biomar-ker proteins, small molecules, and even whole live cells that express a variety of surface proteins of interest. Aptamers offer several advantages over protein-based molecular probes such as low immunogenic activity, flexible modification, and in vitro synthesis. In addition, aptamers used as molecular probes can be made with easy signaling for binding with their corresponding targets. There are a few different fluorescence-based signal transduction mechanisms, such as direct fluorophore labeling, fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), fluorescence quenching, fluorescence anisotropy, and light-switching excimers. These signaling processes in combination with various labeling strategies of nucleic acid aptamers contribute to simple, rapid, sensitive, and selective biological assays. In this chapter, we discuss the optical signaling of aptamers for single proteins such as α-thrombin and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). We also present detailed discussion about fluorescent aptamers developed from cell-based systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) for the recognition of different target tumor cells.

A multiple-exposure fluorescent image tracking velocimeter (FITV) detects and measures the motion (trajectory, direction and velocity) of small particles close to light scattering surfaces. The small particles may follow the motion of a carrier medium such as a liquid, gas or multi-phase mixture, allowing the motion of the carrier medium to be observed, measured and recorded. The main components of the FITV include: (1) fluorescent particles; (2) a pulsed fluorescent excitation laser source; (3) an imaging camera; and (4) an image analyzer. FITV uses fluorescing particles excited by visible laser light to enhance particle image detectability near light scattering surfaces. The excitation laser light is filtered out before reaching the imaging camera allowing the fluoresced wavelengths emitted by the particles to be detected and recorded by the camera. FITV employs multiple exposures of a single camera image by pulsing the excitation laser light for producing a series of images of each particle along its trajectory. The time-lapsed image may be used to determine trajectory and velocity and the exposures may be coded to derive directional information.

Anomalous Hall effect (AHE) has been studied for ferrimagnetic antiperovskite Mn{sub 4−x}Dy{sub x}N films grown by molecular-beam epitaxy. The introduction of Dy changes the AHE dramatically, even changes its sign, while the variations in magnetization are negligible. Two sign reversals of the AHE (negative-positive-negative) are ascribed to the variation of charge carriers as a result of Fermi surface reconstruction. We further demonstrate that the AHE current J{sub AH} is dissipationless (independent of the scattering rate), by confirming that anomalous Hall conductivity, σ{sub AH}, is proportional to the carrier density n at 5 K. Our study may provide a route to further utilize antiperovskite manganese nitrides in spintronics.

Since their discovery, fluorescent proteins have been widely used to study protein function, localization or interaction, promoter activity and regulation, drug discovery or for non-invasive imaging. They have been extensively modified to improve brightness, stability, and oligomerization state. However, only a few studies have focused on understanding the dynamics of fluorescent proteins expression in bacteria. In this work, we developed a set plasmids encoding 12 fluorescent proteins for bacterial labeling to facilitate the study of pathogen-host interactions. These broad-spectrum plasmids can be used with a wide variety of Gram-negative microorganisms including Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Burkholderia cepacia, Bordetella bronchiseptica, Shigella flexneri or Klebsiella pneumoniae. For comparison, fluorescent protein expression and physical characteristics in Escherichia coli were analyzed using fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry and in vivo imaging. Fluorescent proteins derived from the Aequorea Victoria family showed high photobleaching, while proteins form the Discosoma sp. and the Fungia coccina family were more photostable for microscopy applications. Only E2-Crimson, mCherry and mKeima were successfully detected for in vivo applications. Overall, E2-Crimson was the fastest maturing protein tested in E. coli with the best overall performance in the study parameters. This study provides a unified comparison and comprehensive characterization of fluorescent protein photostability, maturation and toxicity, and offers general recommendations on the optimal fluorescent proteins for in vitro and in vivo applications. PMID:26937640

Since their discovery, fluorescent proteins have been widely used to study protein function, localization or interaction, promoter activity and regulation, drug discovery or for non-invasive imaging. They have been extensively modified to improve brightness, stability, and oligomerization state. However, only a few studies have focused on understanding the dynamics of fluorescent proteins expression in bacteria. In this work, we developed a set plasmids encoding 12 fluorescent proteins for bacterial labeling to facilitate the study of pathogen-host interactions. These broad-spectrum plasmids can be used with a wide variety of Gram-negative microorganisms including Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Burkholderia cepacia, Bordetella bronchiseptica, Shigella flexneri or Klebsiella pneumoniae. For comparison, fluorescent protein expression and physical characteristics in Escherichia coli were analyzed using fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry and in vivo imaging. Fluorescent proteins derived from the Aequorea Victoria family showed high photobleaching, while proteins form the Discosoma sp. and the Fungia coccina family were more photostable for microscopy applications. Only E2-Crimson, mCherry and mKeima were successfully detected for in vivo applications. Overall, E2-Crimson was the fastest maturing protein tested in E. coli with the best overall performance in the study parameters. This study provides a unified comparison and comprehensive characterization of fluorescent protein photostability, maturation and toxicity, and offers general recommendations on the optimal fluorescent proteins for in vitro and in vivo applications. PMID:26937640

A key challenge in the SAD phasing method is solving a structure when the anomalous signal-to-noise ratio is low. Here, we describe algorithms and tools for evaluating and optimizing the useful anomalous correlation and the anomalous signal in a SAD experiment. A simple theoretical framework [Terwilliger et al.(2016),Acta Cryst.D72, 346–358] is used to develop methods for planning a SAD experiment, scaling SAD data sets and estimating the useful anomalous correlation and anomalous signal in a SAD data set. Thephenix.plan_sad_experimenttool uses a database of solved and unsolved SAD data sets and the expected characteristics of a SAD data set to estimatemore » the probability that the anomalous substructure will be found in the SAD experiment and the expected map quality that would be obtained if the substructure were found. Thephenix.scale_and_mergetool scales unmerged SAD data from one or more crystals using local scaling and optimizes the anomalous signal by identifying the systematic differences among data sets, and thephenix.anomalous_signaltool estimates the useful anomalous correlation and anomalous signal after collecting SAD data and estimates the probability that the data set can be solved and the likely figure of merit of phasing.« less

A key challenge in the SAD phasing method is solving a structure when the anomalous signal-to-noise ratio is low. Here, algorithms and tools for evaluating and optimizing the useful anomalous correlation and the anomalous signal in a SAD experiment are described. A simple theoretical framework [Terwilliger et al. (2016 ▸), Acta Cryst. D72, 346–358] is used to develop methods for planning a SAD experiment, scaling SAD data sets and estimating the useful anomalous correlation and anomalous signal in a SAD data set. The phenix.plan_sad_experiment tool uses a database of solved and unsolved SAD data sets and the expected characteristics of a SAD data set to estimate the probability that the anomalous substructure will be found in the SAD experiment and the expected map quality that would be obtained if the substructure were found. The phenix.scale_and_merge tool scales unmerged SAD data from one or more crystals using local scaling and optimizes the anomalous signal by identifying the systematic differences among data sets, and the phenix.anomalous_signal tool estimates the useful anomalous correlation and anomalous signal after collecting SAD data and estimates the probability that the data set can be solved and the likely figure of merit of phasing. PMID:26960123

A key challenge in the SAD phasing method is solving a structure when the anomalous signal-to-noise ratio is low. Here, algorithms and tools for evaluating and optimizing the useful anomalous correlation and the anomalous signal in a SAD experiment are described. A simple theoretical framework [Terwilliger et al. (2016), Acta Cryst. D72, 346-358] is used to develop methods for planning a SAD experiment, scaling SAD data sets and estimating the useful anomalous correlation and anomalous signal in a SAD data set. The phenix.plan_sad_experiment tool uses a database of solved and unsolved SAD data sets and the expected characteristics of a SAD data set to estimate the probability that the anomalous substructure will be found in the SAD experiment and the expected map quality that would be obtained if the substructure were found. The phenix.scale_and_merge tool scales unmerged SAD data from one or more crystals using local scaling and optimizes the anomalous signal by identifying the systematic differences among data sets, and the phenix.anomalous_signal tool estimates the useful anomalous correlation and anomalous signal after collecting SAD data and estimates the probability that the data set can be solved and the likely figure of merit of phasing. PMID:26960123

We study the accuracy with which the lowest order CP conserving anomalous Wtb couplings in the single top-quark production at the proposed large hadron electron collider can be probed. The one-dimensional distribution of various kinematic observables at the parton level MC and their asymmetries arising due to the presence of anomalous couplings both in the hadronic and leptonic W decay is examined. We find that at 95 % CL the anomalous coupling associated with the left-handed vector current can be measured at an accuracy of the order of ˜ 10^{-2}-10^{-3}, while those associated with the right-handed vector and left- as well as right-handed tensor currents have a sensitivity at the order of ˜ 10^{-1}-10^{-2} for the systematic uncertainty varying between 10-1 % at an integrated luminosity of 100 fb^{-1}. A comprehensive analysis of the combined covariance matrix derived from all one-dimensional distributions of kinematical observables is used to compute the errors in the anomalous couplings.

Cosmic ray transport research is reviewed for the 1987-1990 time period, focusing on diffusive transport. Problems discussed include the diffusion model, anomalous components, radial gradient and north south anisotropy, short term modulation, long-term solar modulation, and charge sign dependent modulation. 249 refs.

The single-particle dispersion of sea ice in the Fram Strait region is investigated using ice drift buoys deployed from 2002 to 2009 within the Fram Strait Cyclones and the Arctic Climate System Study campaigns. A new method to estimate the direction of the mean flow, based on a satellite drift product, is introduced. As a result, the bias in the dispersion introduced by the mean flow is eliminated considering only the displacements of the buoys in the cross-stream direction. Results show an absolute dispersion growing quadratically in time for the first 3 days and an anomalous dispersion regime exhibiting a strongly self-similar scaling following a 5/4 power law for time scales larger than 6 days persisting over the whole time series of length 32 days. The non-Gaussian distribution of the velocity fluctuations with a skewness of -0.15 and a kurtosis of 7.33 as well as the slope of the Lagrangian frequency spectrum between -2 and -1 are in agreement with the anomalous diffusion regime. Comparison with data from the International Arctic Buoy Program yields similar results with an anomalous dispersion starting after 10 days and persisting over the whole time series of length 50 days. The results suggest the presence of deformation and shear acting on the sea ice dispersion. The high correlation between the cross-stream displacements and the cross-stream wind velocities shows the important role of the wind as a source for the anomalous dispersion.

Anomalously dispersive cavities, particularly white-light cavities, may have larger bandwidth to finesse ratios than their normally dispersive counterparts. Partly for this reason, they have been proposed for use in laser interferometer gravitational-wave observatory (LIGO)-like gravity-wave detectors and in ring-laser gyroscopes. In this paper we analyze the quantum noise associated with anomalously dispersive cavity modes. The vacuum field energy associated with a particular cavity mode is proportional to the cavity-averaged group velocity of that mode. For anomalously dispersive cavities with group index values between 1 and 0, this means that the total vacuum field energy associated with a particular cavity mode must exceed ({h_bar}/2{pi}){omega}/2. For white-light cavities in particular, the group index approaches zero and the vacuum field energy of a particular spatial mode may be significantly enhanced. We predict enhanced spontaneous emission rates into anomalously dispersive cavity modes and broadened laser linewidths when the linewidth of intracavity emitters is broader than the cavity linewidth.

Single-wavelength anomalous diffraction (SAD), multiwavelength anomalous diffraction (MAD) and single isomorphous replacement with anomalous scattering (SIRAS) phasing at ultra-high X-ray energy, 55 keV, are used successfully to determine a high-quality and high-resolution experimental electronic density map of hen egg-white lysozyme, a model protein. Several combinations, between single- and three-wavelength, with native data were exploited to demonstrate that standard phasing procedures with standard equipment and software can successfully be applied to three-dimensional crystal structure determination of a macromolecule, even at these very short wavelengths. For the first time, a high-quality three-dimensional molecular structure is reported from SAD phasing with ultra-high-energy X-rays. The quality of the crystallographic data and the experimental electron density maps meet current standards. The 2.7% anomalous signal from three Ho atoms, at the Ho K edge, was sufficient to obtain a remarkable electron density and build the first lanthanide structure for HEWL in its entirety.

Previous studies of different methods of testing mediation models have consistently found two anomalous results. The first result is elevated Type I error rates for the bias-corrected and accelerated bias-corrected bootstrap tests not found in nonresampling tests or in resampling tests that did not include a bias correction. This is of special…

For several decades, geophysical methods (e.g., electrical, electromagnetic, and radar) have been used to monitor transport of ionic tracers and contaminants, thus providing information about the spatial and temporal morphology and evolution of tracer or contaminant plumes. In the last five years, time-lapse geophysical methods have been applied to understand non-equilibrium between mobile and immobile (or less mobile) domains in porous media (e.g., fractures and matrix) and surface water (i.e., transient storage). Electrical methods have been used in combination with conventional sampling to investigate the exchange of solute between domains and thereby infer exchange rates and relative volumes of mobile and immobile domains. Other methods, including nuclear magnetic resonance and complex resistivity, have been used to study the distribution of pore sizes present, which in turn control anomalous transport. Here, we (1) review the underlying petrophysical/hydrologic link between anomalous transport and geophysical monitoring; (2) review the emerging body of work using geophysical methods to understand anomalous transport and summarize case studies involving field experiments at an aquifer-storage recovery site in Charleston, SC, and two Department of Energy sites in Hanford, WA and Naturita, CO; and (3) discuss potential future directions for geophysical research to further elucidate anomalous transport behavior.

It is shown that the physical constraint of the Anomalous Green’s function gives a natural pairing condition. The resulting self-consistency equation is directly related to the BCS gap equation. Both inhomogeneous and homogeneous systems are considered to illustrate the importance of the constraint. Especially we find weak localization correction to the phonon-mediated interaction.

A report of a patient with an azygos lobe and an associated anomalous azygos vein covering the upper thoracic sympathetic chain. This anomaly poses a significant risk during the procedure of endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy. A chest X-ray is useful in detecting this anomaly and alerting the surgeon to potential problems. PMID:9287933

Radio-frequency [rf] waves do not penetrate into a plasma and are damped within it. The electric field of the wave and plasma current are concentrated near the plasma boundary in a skin layer. Electrons can transport the plasma current away from the skin layer due to their thermal motion. As a result, the width of the skin layer increases when electron temperature effects are taken into account. This phenomenon is called anomalous skin effect. The anomalous penetration of the rf electric field occurs not only for transversely propagating to the plasma boundary wave (inductively coupled plasmas) but also for the wave propagating along the plasma boundary (capacitively coupled plasmas). Such anomalous penetration of the rf field modifies the structure of the capacitive sheath. Recent advances in the nonlinear, non-local theory of the capacitive sheath are reported. It is shown that separating the electric field profile into exponential and non-exponential parts yields an efficient qualitative and quantitative description of the anomalous skin effect in both inductively and capacitively coupled plasma.

It is shown that the anomalous dispersion at the pump transition in molecular far-infrared lasers (FIR) can lead to sizable focusing and defocusing effects. Criteria for beam spreading and trapping are considered with CH2F as an example.

The Stark anomalous dispersion optical filter is a wide-frequency-tunable ultra-narrow-bandwidth optical filter. The first theoretical investigation of this filter matched to the wavelength of a doubled Nd:YAG laser is reported. The calculations show that such a filter may provide above 80 percent transmission, and a noise equivalent bandwidth of 3 GHz.

In this paper we discuss decomposition principle for alpha -stable Lévy processes. We investigate asymptotic properties of components and stochastic integrals driven by such processes providing an important class of anomalous diffusions. We consider two case studies with integrands being fractional Brownian motion and gamma process.

Anomalous launch of a surface wave with different handedness phase control is achieved in a terahertz metasurface based on phase discontinuities. The polarity of the phase profile of the surface waves is found to be strongly correlated to the polarization handedness, promising polarization-controllable wavefront shaping, polarization sensing, and environmental refractive-index sensing. PMID:26449732

The continuous time random walk, introduced in the physics literature by Montroll and Weiss, has been widely used to model anomalous diffusion in external force fields. One of the features of this model is that the governing equations for the evolution of the probability density function, in the diffusion limit, can generally be simplified using fractional calculus. This has in turn led to intensive research efforts over the past decade to develop robust numerical methods for the governing equations, represented as fractional partial differential equations. Here we introduce a discrete time random walk that can also be used to model anomalous diffusion in an external force field. The governing evolution equations for the probability density function share the continuous time random walk diffusion limit. Thus the discrete time random walk provides a novel numerical method for solving anomalous diffusion equations in the diffusion limit, including the fractional Fokker-Planck equation. This method has the clear advantage that the discretisation of the diffusion limit equation, which is necessary for numerical analysis, is itself a well defined physical process. Some examples using the discrete time random walk to provide numerical solutions of the probability density function for anomalous subdiffusion, including forcing, are provided.

We perform a model independent analysis of the helicity amplitudes at high energy for all the 2 →2 scattering processes involving gauge and Higgs bosons in the presence of anomalous W W V , W W V V , V V H , V V H H (V ≡Z , γ and W±), H H H H and H H H interactions. We obtain the perturbative unitarity constraints on anomalous couplings by demanding the vanishing of terms proportional to s2 and s3 /2 in the helicity amplitudes. Using these constraints, we also compute the upper bound on all the anomalous couplings from terms linear in s . Further, assuming all anomalous couplings to have arisen only from dimension six operators, we show that the perturbative unitarity violation can be evaded up to ˜9 TeV corresponding to the best fit values of fW W/Λ2 and fB B/Λ2 from the combined analysis of Tevatron and LHC data.

The anomalous signal of bromide ions, present in the crystal structure of tetragonal hen egg-white lysozyme through the substitution of NaCl by NaBr in the crystallization medium, was used for phasing of X-ray data collected to 1.7 A resolution with a wavelength near the absorption edge of bromine. Phasing of a single wavelength data set, based purely on anomalous deltaf " contribution, led to easily interpretable electron density, equivalent to the complete multiwavelength anonalous dispersion phasing based on four-wavelength data. The classic small-structure direct methods program SHELXS run against all anomalous differences gave a successful solution of six highest peaks corresponding to six bromide ions in the structure with data limited up to a resolution of 3.5 A. Interpretable maps were obtained at a resolution up to 3.0 A using programs MLPHARE and DM. Bromide ions occupy well ordered positions at the protein surface. Phasing based on the single wavelength signal of anomalous scatterers introduced into the ordered solvent shell can be proposed as a tool for solving structures of well diffracting crystals. PMID:10339408

Anomalous microwave emission is a form of radio emission that peaks at tens of GHz. This emission, primarily observed in Galactic sources, most likely comes from spinning dust grains with an electric dipole moment. This explanation is based on the remarkable spatial correlation between large-scale 15-GHz emission and long-wavelength infrared emission, discovered in 1997 at the Owens Valley Radio Observatory and since confirmed by many subsequent observations. Anomalous emission presents a new window on the physical conditions in the interstellar medium, especially the properties of very small dust grains. It is also a foreground for studies of the cosmic microwave background. This emission mechanism has so far been studied mostly on large spatial scales - tens of arcminutes to degrees. I present arcminute-resolution 30-GHz observations of known anomalous emission regions in the Perseus molecular cloud, and combine these data with 15-GHz observations in order to understand spectral properties. I also compare the radio observations to infrared data in order to clarify the environmental conditions that lead to anomalous emission.

In the present work we study the effect of the length of fluorescent dye-filled micro-capillaries on the fluorescence spectra. Two types of micro-capillaries have been studied: a 100 μm inner diameter fused silica capillary with a transparent coating and one of the holes of a fiber optic glass ferrule with 125 μm inner diameter. The tubes were filled with solutions of Rhodamine 6G dissolved in ethanol and then in glycerin. Experimental data show that the maximum fluorescence and the largest spectral widths are observed for a sample length of about 0.25 mm for the used concentration. This results show that miniature tunable fiberized dye lasers can be developed using available standard micro-and fibre-optic components.

The electronic spin state of the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond has gained considerable interest because it can be optically initialized, coherently manipulated, and optically read out at room temperature. In addition, nanoparticle diamonds containing NV centers can be integrated with biological and microfluidic systems. We have constructed and characterized an optical tweezers apparatus to trap fluorescent nanodiamonds in a fluid and measure their fluorescence. Particles are held and moved in three dimensions using an infrared trapping laser. Fluorescent detection of these optically trapped nanodiamonds enables us to observe nanoparticle dynamics and to measure electron spin resonance of NV centers. We will discuss applications using the electron spin resonance of trapped NV centers in nanodiamonds for magnetic field imaging in fluidic environments.

We demonstrate the first use of smartphone spectrophotometry for readout of fluorescence-based biological assays. We evaluated the smartphone fluorimeter in the context of a fluorescent molecular beacon (MB) assay for detection of specific nucleic acid sequences in a liquid test sample and compared performance against a conventional laboratory fluorimeter. The capability of distinguishing a one-point mismatch is also demonstrated by detecting single-base mutation in target nucleic acids. Our approach offers a route toward portable biomolecular assays for viral/bacterial pathogens, disease biomarkers, and toxins. PMID:25098859

FINCHSCOPE is a new technology of fluorescence holographic microscopy. It has been successfully applied to recording high-resolution three-dimensional fluorescence images of biological specimens without the need for scanning. In this study, we revealed and analyzed an intrinsic phenomenon, called ghost lens effect, on spatial light modulator which is the core element enabling the incoherent correlation in the FINCHSCOPE. The ghost lens effect can degrade the imaging quality by introducing multiple spherical waves with different focal lengths into the correlation and thus increasing the noise in the recorded holograms. PMID:25767693

An instrument has been developed for sorting biological cells. The cells are rendered differentially fluorescent and incorporated into a small liquid stream illuminated by a laser beam. The cells pass sequentially through the beam, and fluorescent light from the cells gives rise to electrical signals. The stream is broken into a series of uniform size drops downstream of the laser. The cell signals are used to give appropriate electrostatic charges to drops containing the cells. The drops then pass between two charged plates and are deflected to appropriate containers. The system has proved capable of providing fractions containing large numbers of viable cells highly enriched in a particular functional type.

We demonstrate the first use of smartphone spectrophotometry for readout of fluorescence-based biological assays. We evaluated the smartphone fluorimeter in the context of a fluorescent molecular beacon (MB) assay for detection of a specific nucleic acid sequences in a liquid test sample. The capability of distinguishing a one-point mismatch is also demonstrated by detecting single-base mutation in target nucleic acids. Our approach offers a route towards portable biomolecular assays for viral/bacterial pathogens, disease biomarkers, and toxins.

This article is a summary of a short course lecture given in conjunction with the 1984 Nuclear Science Symposium. Measuring systems for nanosecond fluorescence spectroscopy using single-photon counting techniques are presented. These involve systems based on relaxation-type spark gap light pulser and synchronously pumped mode-locked dye lasers. Furthermore, typical characteristics and optimization of operating conditions of the critical components responsible for the system time resolution are discussed. A short comparison of the most important deconvolution methods for numerical analysis of experimental data is given particularly with respect to the signal-to-noise ratio of the fluorescence signal. 22 refs., 8 figs.

Based on the geomagnetic vector data measured each year since 2011 at more than 500 sites with a mean spatial interval of ~70km.we observed anomalous variations of lithospheric magnetic field before and after over 15 earthquakes having magnitude > 5. We find that the field in near proximity (about 50km) to the epicenter of large earthquakes shows high spatial and temporal gradients before the earthquake. Due to the low frequency of repeat measurements it is unclear when these variations occurred and how do them evolve. We point out anomalous magnetic filed using some circles with radius of 50km usually in June of each year, and then we would check whether quake will locat in our circles during one year after that time (June to next June). Now we caught 10 earthquakes of 15 main shocks having magnitude > 5, most of them located at less than10km away from our circles and some of them were in our circles. Most results show that the variations of lithosphere magnetic filed at the epicenter are different with surrending backgroud usually. When we figure out horizontal variations (vector) of lithosphere magnetic field and epicenter during one year after each June, we found half of them show that the earthquakes will locat at "the inlands in a flowing river", that means earthquakes may occur at "quiet"regions while the backgroud show character as"flow" as liquid. When we compared with GPS results, it appears that these variations of lithospere magnetic field may also correlate with displacement of earth's surface. However we do not compared with GPS results for each earthquake, we are not clear whether these anomalous variations of lithospere magnetic field may also correlate with anomalous displacement of earth's surface. Future work will include developing an automated method for identifying this type of anomalous field behavior and trying to short repeat measurement period to 6 month to try to find when these variations occur.

We discuss exotic properties of charged hydrodynamical systems, in the broken superconducting phase, probed by electromagnetic waves. Motivated by general arguments from hydrodynamics, we observe that negative refraction, namely the propagation in opposite directions of the phase velocities and of the energy flux, is expected for low enough frequencies. We corroborate this general idea by analyzing a holographic superconductor in the AdS/CFT correspondence, where the response functions can be explicitly computed. We study the dual gravitational theory both in the probe and in the backreacted case. We find that, while in the first case the refractive index is positive at every frequency, in the second case there is negative refraction at low enough frequencies. This is in agreement with hydrodynamic considerations.

The increasing prevalence of multiresistant Gram-negative bacteria of the Enterobacteriaceae family in Europe is a worrisome phenomenon. Extended spectrum betalactamase-producing Escherichia coli strains are widespread in the community and are frequently imported into the hospital. Of even more concern is the spread of carbapenem-resistant strains of Klebsiella spp. from regions where they are already endemic. Antibiotic use is a main driver of antibiotic resistance, which again increases broad spectrum antibiotic use, resulting in a vicious circle that is difficult to interrupt. The present commentary highlights important findings of a surveillance study of antimicrobial use and resistance in German ICUs over 8 years with a focus on Gram-negative resistance. PMID:20587087

Although `negative emissions' of carbon dioxide need not, in principle, involve use of biological processes to draw carbon out of the atmosphere, such `agricultural' sequestration' is the only known way to remove carbon from the atmosphere on time scales comparable to the time scale for anthropogenic increases in carbon emissions. In order to maintain the `negative emissions' the biomass must be used in such a way that the resulting carbon dioxide is separated and permanently sequestered. Two options for sequestration are in the topsoil and via geologic carbon sequestration. The former has multiple benefits, but the latter also is needed. Thus, although geologic carbon sequestration is viewed skeptically by some environmentalists as simply a way to keep using fossil fuels---it may be a key part of reversing accelerating climate forcing if rapid climate change is beginning to occur. I will first review the general approach of agricultural sequestration combined with use of resulting biofuels in a way that permits carbon separation and then geologic sequestration as a negative emissions technology. Then I discuss the process that is the focus of my company---the EPRIDA cycle. If deployed at a sufficiently large scale, it could reverse the increase in CO2 concentrations. I also estimate of benefits --carbon and other---of large scale deployment of negative emissions technologies. For example, using the EPRIDA cycle by planting and soil sequestering carbon in an area abut In 3X the size of Texas would remove the amount of carbon that is being accumulated worldwide each year. In addition to the atmospheric carbon removal, the EPRIDA approach also counters the depletion of carbon in the soil---increasing topsoil and its fertility; reduces the excess nitrogen in the water by eliminating the need for ammonium nitrate fertilizer and reduces fossil fuel reliance by providing biofuel and avoiding natural gas based fertilizer production.

A fundamental property of human memory is that repetition enhances memory. Peterson and Mulligan (2012) recently documented a surprising negative repetition effect, in which participants who studied a list of cue-target pairs twice recalled fewer targets than a group who studied the pairs only once. Words within a pair rhymed, and across pairs, the target words were drawn from a small set of categories. In the repetition condition, the pairs were initially presented in a random order and then presented a 2nd time blocked by the category of the target words. In the single presentation condition, the pairs were presented only in the blocked order. Participants in the former condition recalled fewer target words on a free recall test despite having seen the word pairs twice (the negative repetition effect). This phenomenon is explored in a series of 5 experiments assessing 3 theoretical accounts of the effect. The experiments demonstrate that the negative repetition effect generalizes over multiple encoding conditions (reading and generative encoding), over different memory tests (free and cued recall), and over delay (5 min and 2 days). The results argue against a retrieval account and a levels-of-processing account but are consistent with the item-specific-relational account, the account upon which the effect was initially predicated. PMID:23421508

The understanding of cytoskeleton dynamics has benefited from the capacity to generate fluorescent fiducial marks on cytoskeleton components. Here we show that light-induced imprinting of three-dimensional (3D) fluorescent speckles significantly improves speckle signal and contrast relative to classic (random) fluorescent speckle microscopy. We predict theoretically that speckle imprinting using photobleaching is optimal when the laser energy and fluorophore responsivity are related by the golden ratio. This relation, which we confirm experimentally, translates into a 40% remaining signal after speckle imprinting and provides a rule of thumb in selecting the laser power required to optimally prepare the sample for imaging. This inducible speckle imaging (ISI) technique allows 3D speckle microscopy to be performed in readily available libraries of cell lines or primary tissues expressing fluorescent proteins and does not preclude conventional imaging before speckle imaging. As a proof of concept, we use ISI to measure metaphase spindle microtubule poleward flux in primary cells and explore a scaling relation connecting microtubule flux to metaphase duration. PMID:26783303

The aim of the mentioned experiment is to aid students in developing tactics for distinguishing between signals originating from fluorescence and light scattering. Also, the experiment provides students with a deeper understanding of the physicochemical bases of each phenomenon and shows that the techniques are actually related.

A multispectral ultraviolet (UV) fluorescence imaging fluorometer and a pulsed molecular beam laser fluorometer were developed to detect volatile organic compounds of interest in environmental monitoring and drug interdiction applications. The UV fluorescence imaging fluorometer is a relatively simple instrument which uses multiple excitation wavelengths to measure the excitation/emission matrix for irradiated samples. Detection limits in the high part-per-million to low part-per-million range were measured for a number of volatile organic vapors in the atmosphere. Detection limits in the low part-per-million range were obtained using cryogenic cooling to pre-concentrate unknown samples before introducing them into the imaging fluorometer. A multivariate analysis algorithm was developed to analyze the excitation/emission matrix and used to determine the relative concentrations of species in computer synthesized mixtures containing up to five organic compounds. Analysis results demonstrated the utility of multispectral UV fluorescence in analytical measurements. A transportable UV fluorescence imaging fluorometer was used in two field tests. Field test results demonstrated that detection limits in the part-per-billion range were needed to reliably identify volatile organic compounds in realistic field test measurements. The molecular beam laser fluorometer, a more complex instrument with detection limits in the part-per-billion to part-per-trillion range, was therefore developed to satisfy detection sensitivity requirements for field test measurements. High-resolution spectroscopic measurements made with the molecular beam laser fluorometer demonstrated its utility in identifying volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere.

The understanding of cytoskeleton dynamics has benefited from the capacity to generate fluorescent fiducial marks on cytoskeleton components. Here we show that light-induced imprinting of three-dimensional (3D) fluorescent speckles significantly improves speckle signal and contrast relative to classic (random) fluorescent speckle microscopy. We predict theoretically that speckle imprinting using photobleaching is optimal when the laser energy and fluorophore responsivity are related by the golden ratio. This relation, which we confirm experimentally, translates into a 40% remaining signal after speckle imprinting and provides a rule of thumb in selecting the laser power required to optimally prepare the sample for imaging. This inducible speckle imaging (ISI) technique allows 3D speckle microscopy to be performed in readily available libraries of cell lines or primary tissues expressing fluorescent proteins and does not preclude conventional imaging before speckle imaging. As a proof of concept, we use ISI to measure metaphase spindle microtubule poleward flux in primary cells and explore a scaling relation connecting microtubule flux to metaphase duration. PMID:26783303

Although the modern surgical era is highlighted by multiple technological advances and innovations, one area that has remained constant is the dependence of the surgeon's vision on white-light reflectance. This renders different body tissues in a limited palette of various shades of pink and red, thereby limiting the visual contrast available to the operating surgeon. Healthy tissue, anatomic variations, and diseased states are seen as slight discolorations relative to each other and differences are inherently limited in dynamic range. In the upcoming years, surgery will undergo a paradigm shift with the use of targeted fluorescence imaging probes aimed at augmenting the surgical armamentarium by expanding the “visible” spectrum available to surgeons. Such fluorescent “smart probes” will provide real-time, intraoperative, pseudo-color, high-contrast delineation of both normal and pathologic tissues. Fluorescent surgical molecular guidance promises another major leap forward to improve patient safety and clinical outcomes, and to reduce overall healthcare costs. This review provides an overview of current and future surgical applications of fluorescence imaging in diseased and nondiseased tissues and focus on the innovative fields of image processing and instrumentation. PMID:23335674

Defining the subcellular distribution of signaling complexes is imperative to understanding the output from that complex. Conventional methods such as immunoprecipitation do not provide information on the spatial localization of complexes. In contrast, BiFC monitors the interaction and subcellular compartmentalization of protein complexes. In this method, a fluororescent protein is split into amino- and carboxy-terminal non-fluorescent fragments which are then fused to two proteins of interest. Interaction of the proteins results in reconstitution of the fluorophore (Figure 1). A limitation of BiFC is that once the fragmented fluorophore is reconstituted the complex is irreversible. This limitation is advantageous in detecting transient or weak interactions, but precludes a kinetic analysis of complex dynamics. An additional caveat is that the reconstituted flourophore requires 30min to mature and fluoresce, again precluding the observation of real time interactions. BiFC is a specific example of the protein fragment complementation assay (PCA) which employs reporter proteins such as green fluorescent protein variants (BiFC), dihydrofolate reductase, b-lactamase, and luciferase to measure protein:protein interactions. Alternative methods to study protein:protein interactions in cells include fluorescence co-localization and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). For co-localization, two proteins are individually tagged either directly with a fluorophore or by indirect immunofluorescence. However, this approach leads to high background of non-interacting proteins making it difficult to interpret co-localization data. In addition, due to the limits of resolution of confocal microscopy, two proteins may appear co-localized without necessarily interacting. With BiFC, fluorescence is only observed when the two proteins of interest interact. FRET is another excellent method for studying protein:protein interactions, but can be technically challenging. FRET

A key challenge in the SAD phasing method is solving a structure when the anomalous signal-to-noise ratio is low. We present a simple theoretical framework for describing measurements of anomalous differences and the resulting useful anomalous correlation and anomalous signal in a SAD experiment. Here, the useful anomalous correlation is defined as the correlation of anomalous differences with ideal anomalous differences from the anomalous substructure. The useful anomalous correlation reflects the accuracy of the data and the absence of minor sites. The useful anomalous correlation also reflects the information available for estimating crystallographic phases once the substructure has been determined.more » In contrast, the anomalous signal (the peak height in a model-phased anomalous difference Fourier at the coordinates of atoms in the anomalous substructure) reflects the information available about each site in the substructure and is related to the ability to find the substructure. A theoretical analysis shows that the expected value of the anomalous signal is the product of the useful anomalous correlation, the square root of the ratio of the number of unique reflections in the data set to the number of sites in the substructure, and a function that decreases with increasing values of the atomic displacement factor for the atoms in the substructure. In conclusion, this means that the ability to find the substructure in a SAD experiment is increased by high data quality and by a high ratio of reflections to sites in the substructure, and is decreased by high atomic displacement factors for the substructure.« less

The investigation of photochemistry and photophysics of individual quantum systems is described with the help of a wide-field fluorescence microscopy approach. The fluorescence single molecules are observed in real time.

A simple, rapid fluorescence assay was developed for screening tetracyclines in chicken muscle at the U.S. tolerance level (2 mg/kg). The method requires only a homogenization of the tissue in acetonitrile-ammonium hydroxide, centrifugation, addition of Mg+2, and another centrifugation before fluorescence of the supernatant is measured at 505 nm (excitation at 385 nm). Comparison of the fluorescence of control chicken muscle extracts with extracts from muscle fortified with either 2 mg/kg tetracycline, oxytetracycline, or chlortetracycline showed no overlap. A threshold level set at the average fluorescence for a series of fortified 2 mg/kg samples minus 3sigma minimized false-negative responses to provide a successful screening method. The method was tested with blinded samples as controls or samples fortified with tetracycline, oxytetracycline, or chlortetracycline in order to demonstrate its utility. This approach can provide an alternative to microbial screening assays. PMID:15287655

This paper presents a survey of methods, commonly in use or under development, to produce beams of polarized negative ions for injection into accelerators. A short summary recalls how the hyperfine interaction is used to obtain nuclear polarization in beams of atoms. Atomic-beam sources for light ions are discussed. If the best presently known techniques are incorporated in all stages of the source, polarized H/sup -/ and D/sup -/ beams in excess of 10 ..mu..A can probably be achieved. Production of polarized ions from fast (keV) beams of polarized atoms is treated separately for atoms in the H(25) excited state (Lamb-Shift source) and atoms in the H(1S) ground state. The negative ion beam from Lamb-Shift sources has reached a plateau just above 1 ..mu..A, but this beam current is adequate for many applications and the somewhat lower beam current is compensated by other desirable characteristics. Sources using fast polarized ground state atoms are in a stage of intense development. The next sections summarize production of polarized heavy ions by the atomic beam method, which is well established, and by optical pumping, which has recently been demonstrated to yield very large nuclear polarization. A short discussion of proposed ion sources for polarized /sup 3/He/sup -/ ions is followed by some concluding remarks.

Water-soluble fluorescent metallic clusters at sizes comparable to the Fermi wavelength of an electron (˜0.5 nm for gold and silver) were created and their photophysical properties were investigated at the bulk and single molecule levels. We employed biocompatible dendrimer and peptide to prepare a series of strong fluorescent gold and silver clusters with chemical or photo reduction methods. Facilitated by the well-defined dendrimer size, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry indicates that the fluorescent silver nanocluster size ranges from 2 to 8 Ag atoms. The correlation of emission energy with the number of atoms, N, in each gold nanocluster is quantitatively fit for the smallest nanoclusters with no adjustable parameters by the simple scaling relation of EFermi/N1/3, in which EFermi is the Fermi energy of bulk gold. The transition energy scaling inversely with cluster radius indicates that electronic structure can be well described with the spherical jellium model and further demonstrates that these nanomaterials are "multi-electron artificial atoms". Fluorescence from these small metal clusters can be considered protoplasmonic, molecular transitions of the free conduction electrons before the onset of collective dipole oscillations occurring when a continuous density of states is reached. In addition, very strong single molecular Stokes and anti-Stokes Raman enhancement by fluorescent silver clusters was observed. Pushing to larger sizes, we also created ˜2nm diameter glutathione encapsulated luminescent gold nanoparticles. Distinct from similarly sized but nonluminescent gold nanoparticles, these 2 nm gold nanoparticles show bright, long lifetime emission but no plasmon absorption. The emission might arise from charge transfer between gold atoms and the thiol ligand. Providing the "missing link" between atomic and nanoparticle behavior in noble metals, these highly fluorescent, water-soluble gold and silver nanoclusters offer complementary transition

Gram-negative bacteria initiate a stress response in which the cells efflux potassium when electrophilic toxins are introduced into their environment. Hence, measurement of K+ concentration in the surrounding water using a fluorescence-based potassium-selective optode has been proposed for environmental and homeland security applications. Unfortunately, the fluorophore commonly used in such an optode is inefficient. Surface enhanced fluorescence (SEF) can be used to increase its fluorescence efficiency, which will improve the sensor's performance. To understand this phenomenon before applying it to the optode system, Rose Bengal (RB), an inexpensive and well characterized dye, in solution with gold and silver nanoparticles was studied. As expected, fluorescence from RB-gold solutions was low since alignment of gold's surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak and absorption and fluorescence energies in RB favored energy transfer from RB to the gold nanoparticles. The alignment of the silver's SPR peak and the RB transitions favored transfer from silver to RB. SEF was observed in solutions with large dye-to-silver separation. However, little fluorescence was observed when the solution was pumped at the silver's SPR peak. Fluorescence from the dye decreased as dye-to-silver separation decreased. An explanation for these observations is presented; additional research is needed to develop a complete understanding.

In this work we study the transition from normal to anomalous diffusion of Brownian particles on disordered potentials. The potential model consists of a series of "potential hills" (defined on a unit cell of constant length) whose heights are chosen randomly from a given distribution. We calculate the exact expression for the diffusion coefficient in the case of uncorrelated potentials for arbitrary distributions. We show that when the potential heights have a Gaussian distribution (with zero mean and a finite variance) the diffusion of the particles is always normal. In contrast, when the distribution of the potential heights is exponentially distributed the diffusion coefficient vanishes when the system is placed below a critical temperature. We calculate analytically the diffusion exponent for the anomalous (subdiffusive) phase by using the so-called "random trap model". Our predictions are tested by means of Langevin simulations obtaining good agreement within the accuracy of our numerical calculations.

We calculate the anomalous Hall conductivity σx y of the surface states in cubic topological Kondo insulators. We consider a generic model for the surface states with three Dirac cones on the (001) surface. The Fermi velocity, the Fermi momentum, and the Zeeman energy in different Dirac pockets may be unequal. The microscopic impurity potential mediates mixed intra- and interband extrinsic scattering processes. Our calculation of σx y is based on the Kubo-Streda diagrammatic approach. It includes diffractive skew scattering contributions originating from the rare two-impurity complexes. Remarkably, these contributions yield anomalous Hall conductivity that is independent of impurity concentration, and thus is of the same order as other known extrinsic side jump and skew scattering terms. We discuss various special cases of our results and the experimental relevance of our study in the context of the recent hysteretic magnetotransport data in SmB6 samples.

Snell's law at the boundary between two transversely isotropic media with a vertical axis of symmetry (VTI media) can be solved by setting up a fourth order polynomial for the sine of the reflection/transmission angles. This approach reveals the possible presence of an anomalous postcritical angle for certain transversely isotropic media. There are thus possibly three incident angle regimes for the reflection/refraction of longitudinal or transverse waves incident upon a VTI medium: precritical, postcritical/preanomalous, and postanomalous. The anomalous angle occurs for certain strongly anisotropic media where the required root to the phase velocity equation must be switched in order to obey Snell's law. The reflection/transmission coefficients, polarization directions, and the phase velocity are all affected by both the anisotropy and the incident angle. The incident critical angles are also effected by the anisotropy. ?? 2006 Acoustical Society of America.

We disclose the origin of anisotropic percolation perimeters in terms of the stochastic Loewner evolution (SLE) process. Precisely, our results from extensive numerical simulations indicate that the perimeters of multilayered and directed percolation clusters at criticality are the scaling limits of the Loewner evolution of an anomalous Brownian motion, being superdiffusive and subdiffusive, respectively. The connection between anomalous diffusion and fractal anisotropy is further tested by using long-range power-law correlated time series (fractional Brownian motion) as the driving functions in the evolution process. The fact that the resulting traces are distinctively anisotropic corroborates our hypothesis. Under the conceptual framework of SLE, our study therefore reveals different perspectives for mathematical and physical interpretations of non-Markovian processes in terms of anisotropic paths at criticality and vice versa.

Anomalous transport is found to be ubiquitous in complex geological formations and it has a paramount impact on petroleum engineering and groundwater sciences. This process can be well described by the continuous time random walk (CTRW) model, in which the probability density function w(t) of a particle's transition time t follows a power law for large t: w(t)˜t-1-α (0anomalous transport for 1

We carry out a detailed study of the motion of particles driven by a constant external force over a landscape consisting of a periodic potential corrugated by a small amount of spatial disorder. We observe anomalous behavior in the form of subdiffusion and superdiffusion and even subtransport over very long time scales. Recent studies of transport over slightly random landscapes have focused only on parameters leading to normal behavior, and while enhanced diffusion has been identified when the external force approaches the critical value associated with the transition from locked to running solutions, the regime of anomalous behavior had not been recognized. We provide a qualitative explanation for the origin of these anomalies, and make connections with a continuous time random walk approach.

High-energy cosmic rays may exhibit anomalous transport as they traverse and are accelerated by a collection of supernovae explosions in a galactic superbubble. Signatures of this anomalous transport can show up in the particles' evolution and their spectra. In a continuous-time-random- walk (CTRW) model assuming standard diffusive shock acceleration theory (DSA) for each shock encounter, and where the superbubble (an OB stars association) is idealized as a heterogeneous region of particle sources and sinks, acceleration and transport in the superbubble can be shown to be sub-diffusive. While the sub-diffusive transport can be attributed to the stochastic nature of the acceleration time according to DSA theory, the spectral break appears to be an artifact of transport in a finite medium. These CTRW simulations point to a new and intriguing phenomenon associated with the statistical nature of collective acceleration of high energy cosmic rays in galactic superbubbles.

An overview of the current state of anomalous diffusion research at the magnetopause and its role in the formation of the magnetopause boundary layer is presented. Plasma wave measurements in the boundary layer indicate that most of the relevant unstable wave modes contribute negligibly to the diffusion process at the magnetopause under magnetically undisturbed northward IMF conditions. The most promising instability is the lower hybrid drift instability, which may yield diffusion coefficients of the right order if the highest measured wave intensities are assumed. It is concluded that global stationary diffusion due to wave-particle interactions does not take place at the magnetopause. Microscopic wave-particle interaction and anomalous diffusion may contribute to locally break the MD frozen-in conditions and help in transporting large amounts of magnetosheath plasma across the magnetospheric boundary.

We study valley-dependent anomalous thermomagnetic effects, including the Nernst and Ettingshausen effects, in a graphene monolayer that is subjected to a staggered sublattice potential and off-resonant circularly polarized light. It is found that a topological phase transition in this system can significantly affect the signs of the Nernst conductivity as well as the Ettingshausen thermal conductivity, which provides an alternative method to characterize the phase transition between band and topological insulators. At the topological phase-transition point, pure valley-polarized electric and heat currents are generated. In contrast to traditional thermomagnetism, an anomalous thermomagnetic figure of merit is formulated and used to characterize conversion efficiency. The theoretical approach, including numerical calculations and analytical treatment, can also be used to study the same properties of other graphenelike materials.

A linear analysis of the periodic-waveguide cyclotron (PWC) maser shows that the PWC interaction with fast-waves possesses properties of the known anomalous Doppler resonance interaction if the wave impedance of the resonant spatial harmonic, Z{sub n}, is much smaller than the free space impedance, i.e. if Z{sub n} {much_lt} Z{sub 0}. The feasibility of a fast-wave PWC interaction in a low impedance waveguide is examined theoretically in this paper. A practical scheme of a slotted-waveguide PWC operating in the fundamental harmonic near cutoff is proposed for a future experiment. The possible advantages of the quasi-anomalous Doppler effect in the fast-wave-PWC operating regime are the alleviation of the initial electron rotation and a high-efficiency operation.

Motivated by a recent paper by Rychkov-Tan [1], we calculate the anomalous dimensions of the composite operators at the leading order in various models including a ϕ 3-theory in (6 - ɛ) dimensions. The method presented here relies only on the classical equation of motion and the conformal symmetry. In case that only the leading expressions of the critical exponents are of interest, it is sufficient to reduce the multiplet recombination discussed in [1] to the classical equation of motion. We claim that in many cases the use of the classical equations of motion and the CFT constraint on two- and three-point functions completely determine the leading behavior of the anomalous dimensions at the Wilson-Fisher fixed point without any input of the Feynman diagrammatic calculation. The method developed here is closely related to the one presented in [1] but based on a more perturbative point of view.

A very bright fireball observed over New South Wales in 1978 produced anomalous sounds clearly audible to some of the observers. An investigation of the phenomenon indicates that bright fireballs radiate considerable electromagnetic energy in the very-low-frequency (VLF) region of the spectrum. A mechanism for the production of VLF emissions from the highly energetic wake turbulence of the fireball is proposed. Trials with human subjects revealed a very extended range of thresholds for the perception of electrically excited sounds among a sample population, particularly when the VLF electric field excites surface acoustic waves in surrounding objects. This fact, together with variable propagation effects and local conditions, can account for the sporadic distribution of reports of anomalous sounds from fireballs and auroras. PMID:17751127

The scaling of the anomalous Hall effect (AHE) was investigated using amorphous and epitaxial Fe x Si1‑x (0.43 < x < 0.71) magnetic thin films by varying the longitudinal conductivity (σxx) using two different approaches: modifying the carrier mean free path (l) with chemical or structural disorder while holding the carrier concentration (nh) constant or varying n h and keeping l constant. The anomalous Hall conductivity (σxy) , when suitably normalized by magnetization and n h , is shown to be independent of σxx for all samples. This observation suggests a primary dependence on an intrinsic mechanism, unsurprising for the epitaxial high conductivity films where the Berry phase curvature mechanism is expected, but remarkable for the amorphous samples. That the amorphous samples show this scaling indicates a local atomic level description of a Berry phase, resulting in an intrinsic AHE in a system that lacks lattice periodicity.

We investigate axial charge production in two-color QCD out of equilibrium. We compute the real-time evolution starting with spatially homogeneous strong gauge fields, while the fermions are in vacuum. The idealized class of initial conditions is motivated by glasma flux tubes in the context of heavy-ion collisions. We focus on axial charge production at early times, where important aspects of the anomalous dynamics can be derived analytically. This is compared to real-time lattice simulations. Quark production at early times leading to anomalous charge generation is investigated using Wilson fermions. Our results indicate that coherent gauge fields can transiently produce significant amounts of axial charge density, while part of the induced charges persist to be present even well beyond characteristic decoherence times. The comparisons to analytic results provide stringent tests of real-time representations of the axial anomaly on the lattice.

We illustrate the design of acoustic metasurfaces based on geometric tapers and embedded in thin-plate structures. The metasurface is an engineered discontinuity that enables anomalous refraction of guided wave modes according to the Generalized Snell's Law. Locally-resonant geometric torus-like tapers are designed in order to achieve metasurfaces having discrete phase-shift profiles that enable a high level of control of refraction of the wavefronts. Results of numerical simulations show that anomalous refraction can be achieved on transmitted anti-symmetric modes (A0) either when using a symmetric (S0) or anti-symmetric (A0) incident wave, where the former case clearly involves mode conversion mechanisms.

We advocate an effective field theory approach to anomalous couplings. The effective field theory approach is the natural way to extend the standard model such that the gauge symmetries are respected. It is general enough to capture any physics beyond the standard model, yet also provides guidance as to the most likely place to see the effects of new physics. The effective field theory approach also clarifies that one need not be concerned with the violation of unitarity in scattering processes at high energy. We apply these ideas to pair production of electroweak vector bosons. -- Highlights: •We discuss the advantages of effective field theories compared to anomalous couplings. •We show that one need not be concerned with unitarity violation at high energy. •We discuss the application of effective field theory to weak boson physics.

The way tension propagates along a chain is a key to govern many anomalous dynamics in macromolecular systems. After introducing the weak and the strong force regimes of the tension propagation, we focus on the latter, in which the dynamical fluctuations of a segment in a long polymer during its stretching process is investigated. We show that the response, i.e., average drift, is anomalous, which is characterized by the nonlinear memory kernel, and its relation to the fluctuation is nontrivial. These features are discussed on the basis of the generalized Langevin equation, in which the role of the temporal change in spring constant due to the stress hardening is pinpointed. We carried out the molecular dynamics simulation, which supports our theory.

The way tension propagates along a chain is a key to govern many anomalous dynamics in macromolecular systems. After introducing the weak and the strong force regimes of the tension propagation, we focus on the latter, in which the dynamical fluctuations of a segment in a long polymer during its stretching process is investigated. We show that the response, i.e., average drift, is anomalous, which is characterized by the nonlinear memory kernel, and its relation to the fluctuation is nontrivial. These features are discussed on the basis of the generalized Langevin equation, in which the role of the temporal change in spring constant due to the stress hardening is pinpointed. We carried out the molecular dynamics simulation, which supports our theory. PMID:26274194

Magneto-transport measurements on a triple quantum dot ring have recently shown anomalous quantum oscillations with dominant frequencies separated by a factor of three in magnetic flux [1]. Such oscillations, suggestive of a one-third periodicity in the flux quantum, are usually not observed in larger mesoscopic rings in which only larger periods are observed. We develop a microscopic transport model for the triple dot and show that the anomalous oscillations can dominate the transport behavior under certain conditions. Furthermore, we discuss the range of validity of our model by studying dephasing due to broadening and electric dipole interactions. [4pt] [1] L. Gaudreau et al., Phys. Rev. B 80, 075415 (2009)

During the last 10 months of the grant, both laminar and anomalous plasma processes occurring during the refilling of the outer plasmasphere after magnetic storms are investigated. Theoretical investigations were based on two types of models: (1) two-stream hydrodynamic model in which plasma flows from the conjugate ionospheres are treated as separate fluids and the ion temperature anisotropies are treated self-consistently; and (2) large-scale particle-in-cell code.

The proton bifurcation for T > 120 K in the 0953-8984/8/20/002/img2 crystal is considered as the origin of a phonon mixture. As a result, a supplementary term describing phonon fluctuations appears in the crystal Hamiltonian. This fluctuation correction forms the basis of a light absorption mechanism for mixed vibrational modes. An anomalous temperature behaviour of two modes that was previously found experimentally is explained in the framework of the present model.

When P- and S-waves travel through porous sandstone saturated with hydrocarbons, a bit of magic happens to make the velocities of these waves more frequency-dependent (dispersive) than when the formation is saturated with brine. This article explores the utility of the anomalous dispersion in finding more oil and gas, as well as giving a possible explanation about the effect of hydrocarbons upon the capillary forces in the formation. ?? 2009 Society of Exploration Geophysicists.

For anomalous trichromats, threshold contrasts for color differences captured by the L and M cones and their anomalous analogs are much higher than for normal trichromats. The greater spectral overlap of the cone sensitivities reduces chromatic contrast both at and above threshold. But above threshold, adaptively nonlinear processing might compensate for the chromatically impoverished photoreceptor inputs. Ratios of sensitivity for threshold variations and for color appearance along the two cardinal axes of MacLeod-Boynton chromaticity space were calculated for three groups: normals (N = 15), deuteranomals (N = 9), and protanomals (N = 5). Using a four-alternative forced choice (4AFC) task, threshold sensitivity was measured in four color-directions along the two cardinal axes. For the same participants, we reconstructed perceptual color spaces for the positions of 25 hues using multidimensional scaling (MDS). From the reconstructed color spaces we extracted “color difference ratios,” defined as ratios for the size of perceived color differences along the L/(L + M) axis relative to those along the S/(L + M) axis, analogous to “sensitivity ratios” extracted from the 4AFC task. In the 4AFC task, sensitivity ratios were 38% of normal for deuteranomals and 19% of normal for protanomals. Yet, in the MDS results, color difference ratios were 86% of normal for deuteranomals and 67% of normal for protanomals. Thus, the contraction along the L/(L + M) axis shown in the perceptual color spaces of anomalous trichromats is far smaller than predicted by their reduced sensitivity, suggesting that an adaptive adjustment of postreceptoral gain may magnify the cone signals of anomalous trichromats to exploit the range of available postreceptoral neural signals. PMID:25413625

Response of Co/Nb multilayers to external field near the superconducting transition temperature ( TC) was studied. The average moment of Co was suppressed with decreasing Co thickness. At 10 K, for Co thickness larger than 0.5 nm, the multilayers showed hysteresis and ferromagnetism. Some samples showed anomalous field-cooled paramagnetic moments, similar to Paramagnetic Meissner Effect (PME). This is attributed not to the Co moment but to the suppressed surface TC causing PME.

This thesis is concerned with analytically describing anomalous mechanical behaviors of glass. A new slow crack growth model is presented that considers a semi-elliptical crack in a cylindrical glass rod subjected to 4-point bending that is both loaded statically and under a time-dependent load. This model is used to explain a suppression of the loading-rate dependency of ion-exchanged strengthened glass. The stress relaxation behavior of an ion-exchanged strengthened glass is then analyzed in view of a newly observed water-assisted surface stress relaxation mechanism. By making refinements to a time-dependent Maxwell material model for stress buildup and relaxation, the anomalous subsurface compressive stress peak in ion-exchanged strengthened glass is explained. The notion of water-assisted stress relaxation is extended to the crack tip, where high tensile stresses exist. A toughening effect has historically been observed for cracks aged at subcritical stress intensity factors, where crack tip stress relaxation is hypothesized. A simple fracture mechanics model is developed that estimates a shielding stress intensity factor that is then superimposed with the far-field stress intensity factor. The model is used to estimate anomalous "restart" times for aged cracks. The same model predicts a non-linear crack growth rate for cracks loaded near the static fatigue limit. Double cantilever beam slow crack growth experiments were performed and new slow crack growth data for soda-lime silicate glass was collected. Interpretation of this new experimental slow crack growth data suggests that the origin of the static fatigue limit in glass is due to water-assisted stress relaxation. This thesis combines a number of studies that offer a new unified understanding of historical anomalous mechanical behaviors of glass. These anomalies are interpreted as simply the consequence of slow crack growth and water-assisted surface stress relaxation.

Adverse weather phenomena in Catalonia (NE of the Iberian Peninsula) is commonly associated to heavy rains, large hail, strong winds, and/or tornados, all of them caused by thunderstorms. In most of the cases with adverse weather, thunderstorms vary sharply their trajectories in a concrete moment, changing completely the motion directions that have previously followed. Furthermore, it is possible that a breaking into several cells may be produced, or, in the opposite, it can be observed a joining of different thunderstorms into a bigger system. In order to identify the main features of the developing process of thunderstorms and the anomalous motions that these may follow in some cases, this contribution presents a classification of the events using daily rainfall fields, with the purpose of distinguishing quickly anomalous motion of thunderstorms. The methodology implemented allows classifying the daily rainfall fields in three categories by applying some thresholds related with the daily precipitation accumulated values and their extension: days with "no rain", days with "potentially convective" rain and days with "non-potentially convective" rain. Finally, for those "potentially convective" daily rainfall charts, it also allows a geometrical identification and classification of all the convective structures into "ellipse" and "non-ellipse", obtaining then the structures with "normal" or "anomalous" motion pattern, respectively. The work is focused on the period 2008-2015, and presents some characteristics of the rainfall behaviour in terms of the seasonal distribution of convective rainfall or the geographic variability. It shows that convective structures are mainly found during late spring and summer, even though they can be recorded in any time of the year. Consequently, the maximum number of convective structures with anomalous motion is recorded between July and November. Furthermore, the contribution shows the role of the orography of Catalonia in the

In this paper we investigate asymptotic behavior of the tail probability for subordinated self-similar processes with regularly varying tail probability. We show that the tail probability of the one-dimensional distributions and the supremum tail probability are regularly varying with the pre-factor depending on the moments of the subordinating process. We can apply our result to the so-called anomalous diffusion.

Random walks (RW) of particles adsorbed in the internal walls of porous deposits produced by ballistic-type growth models are studied. The particles start at the external surface of the deposits and enter their pores in order to simulate an external flux of a species towards a porous solid. For short times, the walker concentration decays as a stretched exponential of the depth z, but a crossover to long-time normal diffusion is observed in most samples. The anomalous concentration profile remains at long times in very porous solids if the walker steps are restricted to nearest neighbors and is accompanied with subdiffusion features. These findings are correlated with a decay of the explored area with z. The study of RW of tracer particles left at the internal part of the solid rules out an interpretation by diffusion equations with position-dependent coefficients. A model of RW in a tube of decreasing cross section explains those results by showing long crossovers from an effective subdiffusion regime to an asymptotic normal diffusion. The crossover position and density are analytically calculated for a tube with area decreasing exponentially with z and show good agreement with numerical data. The anomalous decay of the concentration profile is interpreted as a templating effect of the tube shape on the total number of diffusing particles at each depth, while the volumetric concentration in the actually explored porous region may not have significant decay. These results may explain the anomalous diffusion of metal atoms in porous deposits observed in recent works. They also confirm the difficulty in interpreting experimental or computational data on anomalous transport reported in recent works, particularly if only the concentration profiles are measured.

We report the characterization and analysis of photochromic films gallus gallus albumin as a matrix modified for holographic recording. Photo-oxidation of homogeneous mixtures prepared with albumin-propylene glycol, to combine chemically with aqueous solution of ammonium dichromate at certain concentrations. We analyzed the diffraction gratings, through the diffraction efficiency of the proposed material. Also, eosin was used as a fluorescent agent, so it is found that produces an inhibitory effect, thus decreasing the diffraction efficiency of the matrices prepared in near-identical circumstances. The work was to achieve stability of albumin films, were prepared with propylene glycol. Finally, experimental studies were performed with films when subjected to aqueous solution of eosin (fluorescent agent) to verify the ability to increase or decrease in diffraction efficiency.

An integrated fluorescence analysis system enables a component part of a sample to be virtually sorted within a sample volume after a spectrum of the component part has been identified from a fluorescence spectrum of the entire sample in a flow cytometer. Birefringent optics enables the entire spectrum to be resolved into a set of numbers representing the intensity of spectral components of the spectrum. One or more spectral components are selected to program a scanning laser microscope, preferably a confocal microscope, whereby the spectrum from individual pixels or voxels in the sample can be compared. Individual pixels or voxels containing the selected spectral components are identified and an image may be formed to show the morphology of the sample with respect to only those components having the selected spectral components. There is no need for any physical sorting of the sample components to obtain the morphological information.

Manipulation is an important issue for both developed and emerging stock markets. Many efforts have been made to detect manipulation in stock markets. However, it is still an open problem to identify the fraudulent traders, especially when they collude with each other. In this paper, we focus on the problem of identifying the anomalous traders using the transaction data of eight manipulated stocks and forty-four non-manipulated stocks during a one-year period. By analyzing the trading networks of stocks, we find that the trading networks of manipulated stocks exhibit significantly higher degree-strength correlation than the trading networks of non-manipulated stocks and the randomized trading networks. We further propose a method to detect anomalous traders of manipulated stocks based on statistical significance analysis of degree-strength correlation. Experimental results demonstrate that our method is effective at distinguishing the manipulated stocks from non-manipulated ones. Our method outperforms the traditional weight-threshold method at identifying the anomalous traders in manipulated stocks. More importantly, our method is difficult to be fooled by colluded traders. PMID:23082114

Recent findings of anomalous superlinear scaling of low-temperature (T ) penetration depth (PD) in several nodal superconductors near putative quantum critical points suggest that the low-temperature PD can be a useful probe of quantum critical fluctuations in a superconductor. On the other hand, cuprates, which are poster child nodal superconductors, have not shown any such anomalous scaling of PD, despite growing evidence of quantum critical points (QCP). Then it is natural to ask when and how can quantum critical fluctuations cause anomalous scaling of PD? Carrying out the renormalization group calculation for the problem of two-dimensional superconductors with point nodes, we show that quantum critical fluctuations associated with a point group symmetry reduction result in nonuniversal logarithmic corrections to the T dependence of the PD. The resulting apparent power law depends on the bare velocity anisotropy ratio. We then compare our results to data sets from two distinct nodal superconductors: YBa2Cu3O6.95 and CeCoIn5. Considering all symmetry-lowering possibilities of the point group of interest, C4 v, we find our results to be remarkably consistent with YBa2Cu3O6.95 being near a vertical nematic QCP and CeCoIn5 being near a diagonal nematic QCP. Our results motivate a search for diagonal nematic fluctuations in CeCoIn5.

The one-dimensional continuous time anomalous diffusion in composite media consisting of a finite number of layers in immediate contact is investigated. The diffusion process itself is described with the help of two probability density functions (PDFs), one of which is an arbitrary jump-length PDF, and the other is a long-tailed waiting-time PDF characterized by the waiting-time index β∈(0,1). The former is assumed to be a function of the space coordinate x and the time coordinate t while the latter is a function of x and the time interval. For such an environment a very general form of the diffusion equation is derived which describes the continuous time anomalous diffusion in a composite medium. This result is then specialized to two particular forms of the jump-length PDF, namely the continuous time Lévy flight PDF and the continuous time truncated Lévy flight PDF. In both cases the PDFs are characterized by the Lévy index α∈(0,2) which is regarded to be a function of x and t. It is possible to demonstrate that for particular choices of the indices α and β other equations for anomalous diffusion, well known from the literature, follow immediately. This demonstrates the very general applicability of the derivation and of the resulting fractional differential equation discussed here. PMID:21928958

Contrasting end members of volcanic and non-volcanic passive margin formation show a large variability in basin shape and structure, subsidence history, and associated topographic evolution of the onshore rifted margins. The large range of structural style and associated topography of these systems imply a strong variability in the underlying thermo-mechanical conditions at the time of rifting. Rift - passive margin styles ranging from narrow to ultra wide are explained using forward numerical models with varying rheological structure, with strong crust lithosphere leading to narrow rift formation associated with highly elevated rift shoulders and conversely weak crust lithosphere resulting in highly stretched wide rifted conjugate margins and little flank morphology. In some cases rifted margins appear to indicate the formation of anomalous post rift topography. A number of mechanisms including small-scale convective removal of the lower lithosphere, lithosphere counter-flow, and dynamic topography, have been invoked to explain the anomalous topography. Forward numerical models are used to predict the magnitude and characteristic topography associated with each of these mechanisms and to evaluate their potential for explaining these apparent anomalous characteristics of rifts and rifted margins.

A theory is presented of anomalous resistivity and particle heating in current-driven plasma accelerators such as the magnetoplasmadynamic thruster (MPDT). An electromagnetic dielectric tensor is used for a current-carrying, collisional and finite-beta plasma and it is found that an instability akin to the generalized lower hybrid drift instability (GLHDI) exists for electromagnetic modes (i.e., with finite polarization). Weak turbulence theory is then used to develop a second-order description of the heating rates of particles by the waves and the electron-wave momentum exchange rate that controls the anomalous resistivity effect. It is found that the electron Hall parameter strongly scales the level of anomalous dissipation for the case of the MPDT plasma. This scaling has recently been confirmed experimentally [Phys. Plasmas 5, 3581 (1997)]. Polynomial expressions of the relevant transport coefficients cast solely in terms of macroscopic parameters are also obtained for including microturbulence effects in numerical plasma fluid models used for thruster flow simulation.

We present a spatially adaptive scheme for automatically searching a pair of images of a scene for unusual and interesting changes. Our motivation is to bring into play structural aspects of image features alongside the spectral attributes used for anomalous change detection (ACD). We leverage a small but informative subset of pixels, namely edge pixels of the images, as anchor points of a Delaunay triangulation to jointly decompose the images into a set of triangular regions, called trixels, which are spectrally uniform. Such decomposition helps in image regularization by simple-function approximation on a feature-adaptive grid. Applying ACD to this trixel grid instead of pixels offers several advantages. It allows: (1) edge-preserving smoothing of images, (2) speed-up of spatial computations by significantly reducing the representation of the images, and (3) the easy recovery of structure of the detected anomalous changes by associating anomalous trixels with polygonal image features. The latter facility further enables the application of shape-theoretic criteria and algorithms to characterize the changes and recognize them as interesting or not. This incorporation of spatial information has the potential to filter out some spurious changes, such as due to parallax, shadows, and misregistration, by identifying and filtering out those that are structurally similar and spatially pervasive. Our framework supports the joint spatial and spectral analysis of images, potentially enabling the design of more robust ACD algorithms.

Accurate modeling of the anomalous electron mobility is absolutely critical for successful simulation of Hall thrusters. In this work, existing computational models for the anomalous electron mobility are used to simulate the UM/AFRL P5 Hall thruster (a 5 kW laboratory model) in a two-dimensional axisymmetric hybrid particle-in-cell Monte Carlo collision code. Comparison to experimental results indicates that, while these computational models can be tuned to reproduce the correct thrust or discharge current, it is very difficult to match all integrated performance parameters (thrust, power, discharge current, etc.) simultaneously. Furthermore, multiple configurations of these computational models can produce reasonable integrated performance parameters. A semiempirical electron mobility profile is constructed from a combination of internal experimental data and modeling assumptions. This semiempirical electron mobility profile is used in the code and results in more accurate simulation of both the integrated performance parameters and the mean potential profile of the thruster. Results indicate that the anomalous electron mobility, while absolutely necessary in the near-field region, provides a substantially smaller contribution to the total electron mobility in the high Hall current region near the thruster exit plane.

Molecular diffusive mechanisms exhibited under nanoconfinement can differ considerably from the Fickian self-diffusion expected in a bulk fluid. We propose a theoretical description of this phenomenon in a nanofluidic system of considerable interest - namely, a dense fluid confined within a carbon nanotube (CNT). We show that the anomalous diffusion reported in the literature is closely related to the fluid layering widely observed in this system and recently theoretically described [Wang and Hadjiconstantinou, Physics of Fluids, 052006, 2015]. In particular, we find that the key to describing the anomalous molecular diffusion (within sufficiently large CNTs) lies in recognizing that the diffusion mechanism is spatially dependent: while fluid in the center of the nanotube (at least three molecular diameters away from the wall) exhibits Fickian diffusion, fluid near the CNT wall can demonstrate non-Fickian diffusive behavior. The previously reported anomalous diffusive behavior can be reproduced, to a good approximation level, by appropriately combining the bulk and near-wall behavior to form a model for the overall diffusion rate within the nanotube. Such models produce results in quantitative agreement with molecular dynamics simulations.

Manipulation is an important issue for both developed and emerging stock markets. Many efforts have been made to detect manipulation in stock markets. However, it is still an open problem to identify the fraudulent traders, especially when they collude with each other. In this paper, we focus on the problem of identifying the anomalous traders using the transaction data of eight manipulated stocks and forty-four non-manipulated stocks during a one-year period. By analyzing the trading networks of stocks, we find that the trading networks of manipulated stocks exhibit significantly higher degree-strength correlation than the trading networks of non-manipulated stocks and the randomized trading networks. We further propose a method to detect anomalous traders of manipulated stocks based on statistical significance analysis of degree-strength correlation. Experimental results demonstrate that our method is effective at distinguishing the manipulated stocks from non-manipulated ones. Our method outperforms the traditional weight-threshold method at identifying the anomalous traders in manipulated stocks. More importantly, our method is difficult to be fooled by colluded traders. PMID:23082114

Introduction. The aim of the study was to evaluate our children who are operated on for anomalous congenital band while increasing the awareness of this rare reason of intestinal obstruction in children which causes a diagnostic challenge. Patients and Methods. We retrospectively reviewed the records of fourteen children treated surgically for intestinal obstructions caused by anomalous congenital bands. Results. The bands were located between the following regions: the ascending colon and the mesentery of the terminal ileum in 4 patients, the jejunum and mesentery of the terminal ileum in 3 patients, the ileum and mesentery of the terminal ileum in 2 patients, the ligament of Treitz and mesentery of the jejunum in one patient, the ligament of Treitz and mesentery of the terminal ileum in one patient, duodenum and duodenum in one patient, the ileum and mesentery of the ileum in one patient, the jejunum and mesentery of the jejunum in one patient, and Meckel's diverticulum and its ileal mesentery in one patient. Band excision was adequate in all of the patients except the two who received resection anastomosis for intestinal necrosis. Conclusion. Although congenital anomalous bands are rare, they should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with an intestinal obstruction. PMID:27478432

Hydrated nanopores offer a unique environment for studying biological molecules under controlled conditions and fabricating sensors using fluorescence. Silica nanopores for example are non-toxic, biologically and optically compatible with protein, and can be easily synthesized to entrap protein and exclude potentially interfering macromolecules, while transmitting analytes of interest. A well known problem when polymerizing orthosilicates to fabricate silica sol-gel nanopores is the release of alcohol, which denatures proteins. We will describe how using the fluorescence of PRODAN (6-propionyl-2-(N,N-dimethylamino) naphthalene) to monitor methanol generated during polymerization has helped define a protocol with enhanced biocompatibility. The improved biocompatibility of sol-gel nanopores synthesized using tetramethyl orthosilicate (TMOS) has been demonstrated by preserving the unstable native trimer form of allophycocyanin (APC) for up to 500 Hrs without the need to covalently binding the subunits together. This has enabled the observation of native APC trimer by means of its fluorescence in a pore down to the single molecule level. In this paper we demonstrate how PRODAN and another polarity sensitive dye, 9-diethylamino-5H-benzo[alpha]phenoxazine-5-one, Nile red (NR) report on pore polarity and successfully extend protein encapsulation to nano-channels of alumina (Al2O3). Improved biocompatibility of nanopores has potential impact in nanomedicine where the ability to study single biomolecules is a primary goal as it underpins our understanding of disease pathology and therapeutics at the most fundamental level. In sensing also the advantages of nanopore isolation of metabolite-specific protein for detecting non-fluorescent metabolites has been demonstrated. Similar approaches can in principle be developed for both single-molecules and lab-on-a-chip sensors. PMID:19964618

The radiant emission of a mercury-argon discharge in a fluorescent lamp assembly is enhanced by providing means for establishing a magnetic field with lines of force along the path of electron flow through the bulb of the lamp assembly, to provide Zeeman splitting of the ultraviolet spectral line. Optimum results are obtained when the magnetic field strength causes a Zeeman splitting of approximately 1.7 times the thermal line width.

Caries prevention is a goal to be achieved by dentist in order to promote health. There are several methods used to detect dental caries each one presenting advantages and disadvantages, especially regarding hidden occlusal caries. The improvement of laser technology has permitted the use of laser fluorescence for early diagnosis of hidden occlusal caries. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of the use of 655 nm laser light on the detection of hidden occlusal caries. Forty molar teeth from patients of both sexes which ages ranging from 10 - 18 years old were used on this study. Following manufacture's instructions regarding the use of the equipment, the teeth had their occlusal surface examined with the DIAGNOdent. Twenty six of 40 teeth had hidden occlusal caries detected by the DIAGNOdent. However only 17 of these 26 teeth showed radiographic signs of caries the other 9 teeth showed no radiological signs of the lesion. Radiographic examination was able to identify 34,61% of false negative cases. This means that many caries would be left untreated due to the lack of diagnosis using both visual and radiographic examination. The use of the DIAGNOdent was effective in successfully detecting hidden occlusal caries.

A brief personal perspective is provided for green fluorescent protein (GFP), covering the period 1994–2011. The topics discussed are primarily those in which my research group has made a contribution and include structure and function of the GFP polypeptide, the mechanism of fluorescence emission, excited state protein transfer, the design of ratiometric fluorescent protein biosensors and an overview of the fluorescent proteins derived from coral reef animals. Structure-function relationships in photoswitchable fluorescent proteins and nonfluorescent chromoproteins are also briefly covered. PMID:21714025

We modify Newtonian gravity to probabilistic quantum mechanical gravity to derive strong coupling. If this approach is valid, we should be able to extend it to the physical body (life) as follows. Using Boltzmann equation, we get the entropy of the universe (137) as if its reciprocal, the fine structure constant (ALPHA), is the hidden candidate representing the negative entropy of the universe which is indicative of the binary information as its basis (http://www.arXiv.org/pdf/physics0210040v5). Since ALPHA relates to cosmology, it must relate to molecular biology too, with the binary system as the fundamental source of information for the nucleotides of the DNA as implicit in the book by the author: ``Quantum Consciousness - The Road to Reality.'' We debate claims of anthropic principle based on the negligible variation of ALPHA and throw light on thermodynamics. We question constancy of G in multiple ways.

Light carries angular momentum, and as such it can exert torques on material objects. Applications of these opto-mechanical effects were limited initially due to their smallness in magnitude, but later becomes powerful and versatile after the invention of laser. Novel and practical approaches for harvesting light for particle rotation have since been demonstrated, where the structure is always subjected to a positive optical torque along a certain axis if the incident angular momentum has a positive projection on the same axis. We report here an interesting phenomenon of ``negative optical torque'', meaning that incoming photons carrying angular momentum rotate an object in the opposite sense. Surprisingly this can be realized quite straightforwardly in simple planar structures. Field retardation is a necessary condition and discrete rotational symmetry of material object plays an important role. The optimal conditions are explored and explained.

An ionization vessel is divided into an ionizing zone and an extraction zone by a magnetic filter. The magnetic filter prevents high-energy electrons from crossing from the ionizing zone to the extraction zone. A small positive voltage impressed on a plasma grid, located adjacent an extraction grid, positively biases the plasma in the extraction zone to thereby prevent positive ions from migrating from the ionizing zone to the extraction zone. Low-energy electrons, which would ordinarily be dragged by the positive ions into the extraction zone, are thereby prevented from being present in the extraction zone and being extracted along with negative ions by the extraction grid. Additional electrons are suppressed from the output flux using ExB drift provided by permanent magnets and the extractor grid electrical field.

An ionization vessel is divided into an ionizing zone and an extraction zone by a magnetic filter. The magnetic filter prevents high-energy electrons from crossing from the ionizing zone to the extraction zone. A small positive voltage impressed on a plasma grid, located adjacent an extraction grid, positively biases the plasma in the extraction zone to thereby prevent positive ions from migrating from the ionizing zone to the extraction zone. Low-energy electrons, which would ordinarily be dragged by the positive ions into the extraction zone, are thereby prevented from being present in the extraction zone and being extracted along with negative ions by the extraction grid. Additional electrons are suppressed from the output flux using ExB drift provided by permanent magnets and the extractor grid electrical field. 14 figs.

An ionization vessel is divided into an ionizing zone and an extraction zone by a magnetic filter. The magnetic filter prevents high-energy electrons from crossing from the ionizing zone to the extraction zone. A small positive voltage impressed on a plasma grid, located adjacent an extraction grid, positively biases the plasma in the extraction zone to thereby prevent positive ions from migrating from the ionizing zone to the extraction zone. Low-energy electrons, which would ordinarily be dragged by the positive ions into the extraction zone, are thereby prevented from being present in the extraction zone and being extracted along with negative ions by the extraction grid. Additional electrons are suppressed from the output flux using ExB drift provided by permanent magnets and the extractor grid electrical field.

Light carries angular momentum, and as such it can exert torques on material objects. Applications of these opto-mechanical effects were limited initially due to their smallness in magnitude, but later becomes powerful and versatile after the invention of laser. Novel and practical approaches for harvesting light for particle rotation have since been demonstrated, where the structure is always subjected to a positive optical torque along a certain axis if the incident angular momentum has a positive projection on the same axis. We report here an interesting phenomenon of “negative optical torque”, meaning that incoming photons carrying angular momentum rotate an object in the opposite sense. Surprisingly this can be realized quite straightforwardly in simple planar structures. Field retardation is a necessary condition and discrete rotational symmetry of material object plays an important role. The optimal conditions are explored and explained. PMID:25226863

A modification of the second law is required for a system with a bounded density of states and not the introduction of a `negative' temperature scale. The ascending and descending branches of the entropy versus energy curve describe particle and hole states, having thermal equations of state that are given by the Fermi and logistic distributions, respectively. Conservation of energy requires isentropic states to be isothermal. The effect of adiabatically reversing the field is entirely mechanical because the only difference between the two states is their energies. The laws of large and small numbers, leading to the normal and Poisson approximations, characterize statistically the states of infinite and zero temperatures, respectively. Since the heat capacity also vanishes in the state of maximum disorder, the third law can be generalized in systems with a bounded density of states: the entropy tends to a constant as the temperature tends to either zero or infinity.

The dynamics of polymer chains in unentangled melts is commonly described by the Rouse model. However, various experimental and simulation studies show that certain dynamical phenomena in unentangled melts cannot be explained by the Rouse theory. One of the puzzling observations is the anomalous diffusion of the center-of-mass (CM) of a polymer chain for times t anomalous motion by yielding a negative power-law tail for the CM velocity autocorrelation function (CM VAF), Ccm(t) ~ -N-1t - 5 / 4 . This prediction is in good agreement with molecular-dynamics (MD) simulations utilizing Langevin dynamics with a strong damping constant. On the other hand, for simulations with momentum conserving dynamics (i.e., the experimentally relevant situation) the prediction of approach (i) is qualitatively incorrect. In the latter case, the CM VAF rather scales as Ccm(t) ~ -N - 1 / 2t - 3 / 2 . This behavior can be rationalized by approach (ii). The predictions of approach (ii) are found to be good quantitative agreement with the MD simulations. In collaboration with: J. Farago, H. Meyer, A. N. Semenov, J. P. Wittmer, A. Johner (Institut Charles Sadron).

Empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs), correlation, and composite analyses are used to investigate the evolution of phenomena associated with sea surface temperature (SST) and rainfall variability over the tropical Atlantic. The most important findings in this research are as follows. 1. The well known droughts over northeastern Brazil (Nordeste) are a local manifestation of a much larger -scale anomalies pattern encompassing the whole equatorial Atlantic and Amazon region. 2. The large-scale dipole-like anomalous rainfall pattern over the equatorial Atlantic and Amazon in March, April, and May (MAM), which is the rainy season for Nordeste region, is a consequence of meridional displacements of the inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ). In particular, negative rainfall anomalies to the south of the equator during MAM are related to an early withdrawal of ITCZ towards the warm SST anomalies over the northern tropical Atlantic. Concurrent with the rainfall anomaly dipole, there are large-scale patterns of SST and wind stress over the tropical Atlantic Ocean which also show a prominent dipole-like structure. The dipole patterns of SST and surface wind stress are the most dominant mode of interannual variability. Weaker trade winds are associated with warmer SST; stronger trade winds with cooler SST. 3. The spatial structure of (dipole-like) anomalous SST, rainfall and surface wind stress during MAM are clearly a modulation of the annual cycle for that season. The similarity between the patterns of interannual variability and MAM seasonal anomalies (departure from the annual mean) is quite remarkable. 4. Previous work has suggested the direct influence of the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on the southern Atlantic. This study brings observational evidence that ENSO effect over the northern Atlantic may happen through teleconnection patterns into higher latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. The teleconnection effects over the northern Atlantic are out of phase

The ability of thermosalient solids, organic analogues of inorganic martensites, to move by rapid mechanical reconfiguration or ballistic event remains visually appealing and potentially useful, yet mechanistically elusive phenomenon. Here, with a material that undergoes both thermosalient and non-thermosalient phase transitions, we demonstrate that the thermosalient effect is preceded by anomalous thermal expansion of the unit cell. The crystal explosion occurs as sudden release of the latent strain accumulated during the anisotropic, exceedingly strong expansion of the unit cell with αa = 225.9 × 10−6 K−1, αb = 238.8 × 10−6 K−1 and αc = −290.0 × 10−6 K−1, the latter being the largest negative thermal expansivity observed for an organic compound thus far. The results point out to the occurence of the thermosalient effect in phase transitions as means to identify new molecular materials with strong positive and/or negative thermal expansion which prior to this work could only be discovered serendipitously. PMID:27403616

The ability of thermosalient solids, organic analogues of inorganic martensites, to move by rapid mechanical reconfiguration or ballistic event remains visually appealing and potentially useful, yet mechanistically elusive phenomenon. Here, with a material that undergoes both thermosalient and non-thermosalient phase transitions, we demonstrate that the thermosalient effect is preceded by anomalous thermal expansion of the unit cell. The crystal explosion occurs as sudden release of the latent strain accumulated during the anisotropic, exceedingly strong expansion of the unit cell with αa = 225.9 × 10(-6) K(-1), αb = 238.8 × 10(-6) K(-1) and αc = -290.0 × 10(-6) K(-1), the latter being the largest negative thermal expansivity observed for an organic compound thus far. The results point out to the occurence of the thermosalient effect in phase transitions as means to identify new molecular materials with strong positive and/or negative thermal expansion which prior to this work could only be discovered serendipitously. PMID:27403616

Upon light exposure, an indium-zinc-oxide (IZO) thin-film transistor (TFT) presents higher photoconductivity by several orders of magnitude at the negative gate bias region. Among various device geometrical factors, scaling down the channel length of the photo-transistor results in an anomalous increase in photoconductivity. To probe the origin of this high photoconductivity in short-channel device, we measured transient current, current–voltage, and capacitance–voltage characteristics of IZO–TFTs with various channel lengths and widths before and after illumination. Under the illumination, the equilibrium potential region which lies far from front interface exists only in short-channel devices, forming the un-depleted conducting back channel. This region plays an important role in carrier transport under the illumination, leading to high photoconductivity in short-channel devices. Photon exposure coupled with gate-modulated band bending for short-channel devices leads to the accumulation of V{sub o}{sup ++} at the front channel and screening negative gate bias, thereby generating high current flow in the un-depleted back-channel region.

Upon light exposure, an indium-zinc-oxide (IZO) thin-film transistor (TFT) presents higher photoconductivity by several orders of magnitude at the negative gate bias region. Among various device geometrical factors, scaling down the channel length of the photo-transistor results in an anomalous increase in photoconductivity. To probe the origin of this high photoconductivity in short-channel device, we measured transient current, current-voltage, and capacitance-voltage characteristics of IZO-TFTs with various channel lengths and widths before and after illumination. Under the illumination, the equilibrium potential region which lies far from front interface exists only in short-channel devices, forming the un-depleted conducting back channel. This region plays an important role in carrier transport under the illumination, leading to high photoconductivity in short-channel devices. Photon exposure coupled with gate-modulated band bending for short-channel devices leads to the accumulation of Vo++ at the front channel and screening negative gate bias, thereby generating high current flow in the un-depleted back-channel region.

The ability of thermosalient solids, organic analogues of inorganic martensites, to move by rapid mechanical reconfiguration or ballistic event remains visually appealing and potentially useful, yet mechanistically elusive phenomenon. Here, with a material that undergoes both thermosalient and non-thermosalient phase transitions, we demonstrate that the thermosalient effect is preceded by anomalous thermal expansion of the unit cell. The crystal explosion occurs as sudden release of the latent strain accumulated during the anisotropic, exceedingly strong expansion of the unit cell with αa = 225.9 × 10‑6 K‑1, αb = 238.8 × 10‑6 K‑1 and αc = ‑290.0 × 10‑6 K‑1, the latter being the largest negative thermal expansivity observed for an organic compound thus far. The results point out to the occurence of the thermosalient effect in phase transitions as means to identify new molecular materials with strong positive and/or negative thermal expansion which prior to this work could only be discovered serendipitously.

We observed that imbibition of various Rhodamine B-doped wetting liquids in an array of different-sized, horizontal, two-dimensional silica nanochannels terminated within the channels as a function of hydraulic diameter and liquid type. This front termination is not predicted by the classic Washburn equation for capillary flow, which establishes diffusive dynamics in horizontal channels. Various explanations for the anomalous static imbibition measurements were negated; hydrodynamics, thermodynamics, surface chemistry and mechanics were all taken into consideration for this analysis. The atypical imbibition data are explained by deformed menisci and decreased effective channel diameters. These occurrences are due to the enhanced influence of the following phenomena at the nanoscale: surface forces at fluid-solid boundaries, the presence of quasi-crystalline thin films or boundary regions, and potential solid surface or boundary layer deformation due to meniscus-induced negative pressures (suction). We introduce a phenomenological model which demonstrates how van der Waals forces, common to all interfaces, lead to local menisci deformation and an average reduction in capillary pressure. An expression for the approximate capillary pressure of a symmetric nanoscale meniscus in a cylindrical pore space is derived; its difference from the macroscopic capillary pressure can be expressed by an effective contact angle. Precursor films, adsorbed films and elastocapillary deformation decrease effective diameter, exacerbating meniscus deformation and increases in effective viscosity; we also describe local models and effective values for these phenomena. The findings can be scaled to imbibition and two-phase flow in nanoporous media. PMID:26762813

We study plasmonic lattice modes in two dimensional arrays of large metallic nanodisks in strongly inhomogeneous environments with controlled dielectric asymmetries. This is done within the two limits of positive (air/substrate) and negative (Si/substrate) asymmetries. In the former, the nanodisks are exposed to air, while in the latter, they are fully embedded in a dielectric material with a refractive index much higher than that of the glass substrate (Si). Our results show that in the air/substrate limit, the arrays can mainly support two distinct visible and infrared peaks associated with the optical coupling of multipolar plasmonic resonances of nanodisks in air and substrate (normal modes). As the nanodisks are gradually embedded in Si, i.e., going from the positive to negative asymmetry limit, the visible peak undergoes more than 200 nm red shift without significant mode degradation. Our results show that as this transition happens, a third peak (anomalous mode) becomes dominant. The amplitude and wavelength of this peak increase quadratically with the thickness of the Si layer, indicating formation of a unique collective mode. We study the impact of this mode on the emission semiconductor quantum dots, demonstrating they become much brighter as the result of the long-reach plasmonic fields of the nanodisks when the arrays are in this mode.

A study of Apollo 16 impact melts has been initiated as part of the NASA Lunar Science Institute's Center for Lunar Science and Exploration. The investigation uses a novel approach to investigate the crystallization conditions for the igneous textured samples returned by Apollo 16. This approach uses a combination of crystal size distributions and mineral chemistry to develop a crystal stratigraphy approach to examine crystallization conditions. The Apollo 16 impact melts are enriched in Al2O3 (~25-28%) and are highly feldspathic with only minor amounts of pyroxene, olivine, and opaque minerals. Initial studies focused on sample 60635 where previous whole rock analyses show that, surprisingly this sample possesses a small negative Eu anomaly [1,2]. This is intriguing given the feldspathic nature of the sample (~70% modal plagioclase), which should impart a strong positive Eu anomaly on the whole rock signature. The major element compositions of the plagioclases are relatively homogeneous with a range of An94-98 and an average of An97.2. Plagioclase trace element compositions exhibit a much wider compositional range with some crystals having the predicted positive Eu anomaly but other showing an unexpected negative Eu anomaly. There are about the same number of crystals with a negative Eu anomaly as there are with a positive anomaly and both are equally distributed through the thin section (60635,2). Intriguingly, 5 plagioclase crystals from this sample contain both positive and negative Eu anomalies in different sections of the crystals. Subsequent analyses of other impact melt samples show that a further 4 samples from the LM/Station 10 site also contain plagioclase with both positive and negative Eu anomalies (60235,5; 60335,13; 60615,8; 60618,3 and ,4), along with one sample from Station 4 (64817,3). The hypothesis we are considering is that the impact melt(s) represented by these anomalous samples were generated by impact into typical lunar highlands materials

Fluorescence diagnosis has become an important method of investigation in clinical practice particularly in identification and localisation of pre and early cancerous lesions as well as image guided therapy. The method relies on the principle of differential fluorescence emission between abnormal and normal tissues in response to excitation by a specific wavelength of light within the visible spectrum range. In clinical practice two types of fluorescence diagnostic methods are used, namely autofluorescence and drug-induced fluorescence. The former relies on the differential fluorescence of "native" fluorophores whereas the latter requires a photosensitiser which enhances the differential fluorescence emission of the normal versus the abnormal tissues. Development and advances in fibreoptic, endoscopic instrumentation currently permit fluorescence endoscopy to be carried out in a number of situations. PMID:19356662

Interest is increasing in developing fluorescent ligands for characterization of adenosine receptors (ARs), which hold a promise of usefulness in the drug discovery process. The size of a strategically labeled AR ligand can be greatly increased after the attachment of a fluorophore. The choice of dye moiety (e.g. Alexa Fluor 488), attachment point and linker length can alter the selectivity and potency of the parent molecule. Fluorescent derivatives of adenosine agonists and antagonists (e.g. XAC and other heterocyclic antagonist scaffolds) have been synthesized and characterized pharmacologically. Some are useful AR probes for flow cytometry, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, fluorescence microscopy, fluorescence polarization, fluorescence resonance energy transfer, and scanning confocal microscopy. Thus, the approach of fluorescent labeled GPCR ligands, including those for ARs, is a growing dynamic research field. PMID:23200243

We present a multicolor fluorescence imaging modality to visualize in real-time tissue structures emitting multispectral fluorescent light from different focal depths. Each designated spectrum of fluorescent emission from a specific depth within a volumetric tissue is probed by a depth-spectrum selective holographic grating. The grating for each fluorescent color are multiplexed within a volume hologram, which enables simultaneously obtaining multicolored fluorescent information at different depths within a biological tissue sample. We demonstrate the imaging modality's ability to obtain laser-induced multicolored fluorescence images of a biological sample from different depths without scanning. We also experimentally demonstrate that the imaging modality can be simultaneously operated at both fluorescent and bright field modes to provide complementary information of volumetric tissue structures at different depths in real-time. PMID:21950929

We present a multicolor fluorescence imaging modality to visualize in real-time tissue structures emitting multispectral fluorescent light from different focal depths. Each designated spectrum of fluorescent emission from a specific depth within a volumetric tissue is probed by a depth-spectrum selective holographic grating. The grating for each fluorescent color are multiplexed within a volume hologram, which enables simultaneously obtaining multicolored fluorescent information at different depths within a biological tissue sample. We demonstrate the imaging modality's ability to obtain laser-induced multicolored fluorescence images of a biological sample from different depths without scanning. We also experimentally demonstrate that the imaging modality can be simultaneously operated at both fluorescent and bright field modes to provide complementary information of volumetric tissue structures at different depths in real-time.

Absorption of laser light in plasma via electron-ion collision (inverse bremsstrahlung) is known to decrease with the laser intensity as I 0 -3/2 or with the electron temperature as T e -3/2 where Coulomb logarithm ln Λ = 0.5ln(1 + k 2 min/k 2 max) in the expression of electron-ion collision frequency v ei is assumed to be independent of ponderomotive velocity v 0 = E0/ω which is unjustified. Here k -1 min = v th/max(ω, ω p), and k -1 max = Z/v 2 th are maximum and minimum cut-off distances of the colliding electron from the ion, v th = √T e is its thermal velocity, ω, ω p are laser and plasma frequency. Earlier with a total velocity v = (v 2 0 + v 2 th)1/2 dependent ln Λ(v) it was reported that v ei and corresponding fractional laser absorption (α) initially increases with increasing intensity, reaches a maximum value, and then fall according to the conventional I 0 -3/2 scaling. This anomalous increase in v ei and α may be objected due to an artifact introduced in ln Λ(v) through k-1 min ∝ v. Here we show similar anomalous increase of v ei and α versus I 0 (in the low temperature and under-dense density regime) with quantum and classical kinetic models of v ei without using ln Λ, but a proper choice of the total velocity dependent inverse cut-off length kmax -1 ∝ v 2 (in classical case) or kmax ∝ v (in quantum case). For a given I 0 < 5 × 1014Wcm-2, v ei versus T e also exhibits so far unnoticed identical anomalous increase as v ei versus Io, even if the conventional k max ∝ v2 th, or k max ∝ v th is chosen. However, for higher T e > 15 eV, anomalous growth of vei and a disappear. The total velocity dependent k max in kinetic models, as proposed here, may explain anomalous increase of a with I 0 measured in some earlier laser-plasma experiments. This work may be important to understand collisional absorption in the under-dense pre-plasma region due to low intensity pre-pulses and amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) pedestal in the

Calcrete (pedogenic Ca carbonate) is an important sampling medium for geochemical gold (Au) exploration in semi-arid and arid regions of Australia, because it is widespread, easy to sample and calcium (Ca) shows a strong positive correlation with Au, but not with base metals, in calcrete overlying buried Au mineralization. In this study we show that the formation of Au-anomalous calcrete can be biomediated through the activity of resident microorganisms, and may not simply be the result of passive nucleation on inactive cells or evapotransporative processes. Calcified microfossils are highly abundant in calcrete from the Barns Au-prospect in South Australia. These microfossils are morphological analogues of calcified cells and biofilms formed in laboratory experiments conducted with active bacterial cultures enriched from Au-anomalous calcareous sand from the Barns prospect. Calcium carbonates precipitated by these cultures consisted mostly of calcite, which is the main carbonate mineral in calcrete. Synchrotron micro-X-ray fluorescence (S-μXRF) mapping was used to assess the distribution of Au, Zn, Ca and other metals in Ca carbonates precipitated by active bacterial cultures. On a μm-scale the distribution of Au was heterogeneous in these Ca carbonates and differed from base metal distribution, thus mimicking the spatial separation of these metals observed in calcrete. The speciation of Au in Ca carbonates precipitated by active bacteria was measured using micro-X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy (μ-XANES) and resembled that observed in Au-anomalous calcrete closely. While metallic Au was observed in Au 'hotpots', ionic Au was detected in the halo surrounding the 'hotspot'. In contrast, the precipitates produced in the presence of dead bacterial cells or by raising solution pH or pCO 2, i.e., hydroxylapatite, portlandite and vaterite, respectively, did not reflect the mineralogy of calcrete. Gold distribution and speciation in vaterite, formed

Negative expertise is conceptualised as the professional's ability to avoid errors during practice due to certain cognitive agencies. In this study, negative knowledge (i.e. knowledge about what is wrong in a certain context and situation) is conceptualised as one such agency. This study compares and investigates the negative knowledge of elder…